Sailor Moon O: Orion's Story
by Meghann McCall
Summary: The senshi meet Sailor Orion, a mysterious new Sailor known as the Sacrificial Soldier. Together Orion and the senshi must race against time to find the legendary Silver Dagger in order to save the world from Negaverse invasion. In the process secrets f
1. A new enemy, a new soldier! Beginning o...

Part One: A new enemy, a new scout! Beginning of the battle for eternity!

Usagi's cry caused the cat to leap nearly three feet off the bed. I'm late for the Sailor Scout meeting! Rei is going to kill me! Her long blond ponytails streamed behind her as she raced about her room, tossing a few books and her transformation brooch into a bag. Why didn't you tell me what time it was?  
Luna rolled her eyes impatiently. I DID, Usagi. Four times. You were too busy playing those silly video games with Chibiusa. Both of you ignored me. Remember?  
Usagi scowled at her pet, but couldn't come up with any response. Chibiusa strolled into the room, wearing her rabbit backpack.   
Well, I'm ready, she announced self importantly. Hurry up, baka-Usagi. You're always late.   
Usagi wanted to give her a smart reply, but they didn't have the time. So she settled for grabbing Chibiusa's hand and yanking her downstairs and out the door, insisting as they went, We're BOTH late this time, and it isn't completely my fault, Miss Don't-Worry-We-Still-Have-Time-For-One-More- Game. The two girls flew down the sidewalk towards the shrine on Cherry Hill.   
WE'RE HERE!!! Usagi bellowed as they burst into the room. Then she stopped short. Rei, Makoto, Ami and Minako were seated around the table as usual, but there across from them were...  
Haruka-chan! Michiru-chan! Chibiusa exulted as she raced to greet them.  
Haruka laughed, that deep, throaty sound. Well, odango atama, that wasn't very queenlike. Are you trying to get us to change our minds about you?  
Michiru's eyes sparkled michieviously. And to think of all the power it took to convince us you were the true Messiah.  
Usagi stared at them in surprise. What are you doing here? I thought you'd left Toyko.  
Michiru's aqua eyes clouded for a moment. We did. But...  
Lita interrupted. I think you'd better sit down, Usagi. Haruka and Michiru have brought us some very disturbing news.  
Usagi looked at the faces of her friends, and realized that they all looked very grave, including the usually vivacious Minako. A wave of fear swept over her; this must be really bad. Even Chibiusa sensed the tension in Haruka, and she let go of her, sitting down quietly next to her and looking anxiously around the circle.   
Usagi sat down quickly and gazed from one to the other. What happened? she asked in a very small voice, sounding like she was not at all certain she really wanted to know.  
Haruka began, Well, we had just crossed the bridge that leaves Tokyo...

Well, we did it, Michiru smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face as they flew down the vacant highway.   
Haruka grinned and looked up from the wheel. Yes. We found the talismans and the Messiah.  
And the terrible Silence is no longer a threat, thanks to Sailor Saturn and Super Sailor Moon.  
Michiru closed her eyes and tipped her head back, letting the warm sunshine bathe her face. It feels wonderful, knowing that we accomplished our mission at last.  
Haruka smiled again at her. And who would have guessed that odango atama would be the true Messiah?  
Michiru opened one eye to look at her friend. Be honest, Haruka. You believed it all along.  
Haruka made no reply, but focused on the road instead. Michiru grinned at her. Come on, admit it. You had more faith in Sailor Moon than any of us.  
Haruka snorted in denial. She was a crybaby and a weakling.  
Who stood up to you for what she believed in.  
At this Haruka gave a half smile, and Michiru added, I know you. You respected her for that. If she'd given in to you, you'd have been disappointed in her.  
Haruka cocked an eyebrow in her passenger's direction. Well, you may be right. Then she returned her gaze to the road. But I feel better knowing that she really does have the guts to use that amazing power of hers when it counts. Having compassion and love is a good thing for a queen, but she also needs to have the ability to be a leader; to do whatever is necessary to protect herself and her people. A grin crossed her face. And she demonstrated that yesterday, didn't she?  
Michiru smiled back. She put us in our places quite effectively.  
She's going to make a great queen, Haruka asserted proudly.  
There was a comfortable silence for a while as the little yellow convertible sped down the road. It was a beautiful day, and both girls felt incredibly peaceful for the first time in months. Haruka found herself recalling again the events that had brought the two of them together, and she shook her head with wonder for the millionth time. It was hard to believe that she was a Sailor Scout, defender of the solar system. It had taken her a long time to accept her destiny. If it hadn't been for Michiru... Haruka glanced over at her friend fondly. What would she be without Michiru? Haruka could hardly remember what life had been like before they'd met. She hadn't known who she was, really. It was like a part of her was asleep, and she didn't even know it until Sailor Neptune had appeared to awaken her to herself. Haruka had never felt more content than at this moment, flying down the highway with her best friend.  
Suddenly Michiru gasped. Stop the car, Haruka!  
Instinctively Haruka slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road. Michiru, what...? But her question faded as she stared in the direction that her friend was pointing.   
There in the field alongside the road, something strange was happening. The air was shimmering in a very odd way, and suddenly a curious monument of ornately carved black stone seemed to materialize from nowhere. It was shaped like a large rectangular box or podium, and it was at least as tall as Haruka. Above the monument, seemingly suspended in midair, something that appeared to be a smooth glass orb appeared, glowing with an unearthly, beautiful light.  
Do you hear that? Michiru whispered.  
The orb seemed to be humming, but the sound was a melody so hauntingly sweet that Haruka could have sworn she'd heard it before, somewhere. The song grew louder and more intense, and so did the light, getting brighter and brighter until both girls had to look away. Haruka wondered if she and Michiru should take cover, but... it was such a delicious feeling as the music and light swept over them. Haruka felt like she was gaining strength and energy, like her body was being embraced by the combination of sound and light, purifying all traces of weariness and filling her with a joy so complete it was almost unbearable. Without realizing what she was doing, she flung out her arms and began to spin around and around, immersing herself in the incredible beauty and power of it. Haruka began to feel herself merging with the light, becoming light herself, as the sweet melody no longer was outside but inside, inside her soul, singing through her veins and giving her life like she'd never felt it before.   
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the light and music were withdrawn back into the glass sphere, so that it glowed and hummed even more intensely than before. The orb quivered with the power it contained, and abruptly shot into the sky. Both Haruka and Michiru were left breathless and panting from the sudden exhileration as the shining thing arched through the clouds towards the city they had just left. A moment later, Tokyo's skyline seemed to shimmer; then, everything was quiet again.   
Haruka and Michiru stared at each other in shock, and Michiru started to speak, but something else caught Haruka's eye, and she pointed back to the black stone monument.   
They both turned to see that a hole had appeared from where the orb had left. Hole' was the best word to describe it; it was as if the air above the monument had been torn open when the shiny sphere had flown away. And from within the aperture, they both heard the distinct sound of laughter. Very ominous laughter.   
I've got a bad feeling about this, Michiru stated.  
As they watched, a small drop of... something black and oily-looking oozed from the baseball-sized opening. The moment it hit the surface of the monument, it rose up and started to take on a form. A very ugly form. Three eyes opened, and the hideous yellow things rolled around in its head before landing on the figures of Haruka and Michiru standing a few feet away. A grin spread across the glistening black features, exposing two long fangs like a viper's, and the long, scaly tail of the creature thrashed once with pleasure.   
the thing hissed in a voice like a spitting cat. Jaki likes human juice. Want juice!  
Haruka and Michiru looked at each other, but neither had to say a word. Both produced their transformation pens simultaneously.  
Uranus Planet Power! Makeup!  
Neptune Planet Power! Makeup!  
A moment later the two Sailor Scouts had transformed, and took their customary stances. For an instant the creature looked confused, but it didn't seem to matter to it what outfits its victims were wearing. Jaki thirsty! The thing made a move to lunge at the Scouts.  
Deep Submerge!  
The force of Sailor Neptune's attack caused the thing to lose its footing on the monument, and it tumbled into the grass. When it got up, its three eyes were glittering green instead of yellow.   
Uranus? I think I made it mad. Sailor Neptune cocked an eyebrow at her Sister Scout.  
Sailor Uranus grinned back, but the expression was soon replaced with one of fury as a bolt of dark energy erupted from the creature to crash into Sailor Neptune. The graceful Scout was shoved backwards, slamming onto the hood of Haruka's beloved convertible. She slid off the hood onto the dirt, unconcious.  
Sailor Uranus shouted in alarm, as she turned to face the thing that had just attacked her friend. I'll make you pay for that! she bellowed at it, raising her arm.  
World Shaking!   
This time the jaki was expecting the attack, and it dodged the burst of power as easily as if it were a careless stray rock. The trio of eyes sparking, the creature's mouth opened and another bolt of evil energy streamed towards Sailor Uranus. She jumped up to avoid it, and it went under her. But when she landed, she turned to see that the attack had changed its direction and was now coming after again. She scarcely had time to leap aside before it burned past her, getting absorbed into the black stone of the monument. But Uranus hadn't managed to avoid it completely; the dark energy had caught her left foot as it went by. Sailor Uranus gasped in pain, and looked down at her ankle. She couldn't move it; the force of the attack had rendered it completely useless.   
I can't defeat this thing, she realized with shock. It's too powerful! And its attacks have homing signals' or something.  
Uranus looked up to see the jaki bending over Sailor Neptune's prone body. Human juice! the thing exulted as it prepared to sink its fangs into Neptune's arm.  
Uranus exploded, powering up her attack again. World Shaking!  
The creature dropped Sailor Neptune and looked up. This time it didn't have the chance to dodge away, and the power struck it in the face, knocking it backwards. When the jaki rose to its feet again, its eyes were glowing green and rolling about furiously. It didn't seem to be much affected by Uranus' attack, but now it was obvious that it was enraged. The thing opened its mouth again, but before it could attack, Sailor Uranus dodged awkwardly behind the monument of black stone.   
Concentrating, she brought her sacred sword talisman out from her body. The sword gleamed as she unsheathed it. All right, talisman, she said to it, let's go put this thing out of its misery. She leapt back into the open,trying not to wince as she landed hard on her injured ankle, and brandished the glowing sword in front of her. The creature seemed duly impressed.  
Staring at the defiant Sailor Uranus, the thing shook its head. Jaki find easier human juice, it decided, and as Uranus watched in surprise, the jaki curled into a ball and bounced once, twice, and on the third bounce seemed to fly into the sky, taking the same path that the shining glass sphere had taken, towards Toyko. It disappeared from view, and Sailor Uranus limped as quickly as she could towards Neptune's prostrate form.  
she gasped, dropping her talisman sword for the moment and sinking down beside her friend. Michiru, can you hear me?  
Sailor Neptune moaned and struggled to open her eyes. she managed to say, but then collapsed again.  
Judging from the numbness in her own foot, Sailor Uranus had a pretty good idea of how badly Sailor Neptune had been hurt. Carefully she picked her friend up, cradling her gently in her arms, as her mind searched desparately for something she could do to help Sailor Neptune. As she did so, her injured ankle brushed up against the talisman sword on the ground. Suddenly a warm glow spread over her foot, and Sailor Uranus found that after a moment the pain was gone, and she could use her ankle again. Her eyes widened as she realized what this meant.  
Neptune! Neptune, listen to me. We need your talisman. Sailor Uranus shook Sailor Neptune gently. Can you hear me? You need to bring out your mirror.  
Again Sailor Neptune's eyelids fluttered. Uranus wasn't sure whether her Sailor Sister had heard her or not, but suddenly Neptune's face contracted in an expression of concentration, and the talisman mirror shimmered into being above them. Sailor Uranus grabbed it out of the air and put it in Neptune's hand.  
The mirror began to glow, and a healing light emanated from it to surround Sailor Neptune's body. After a few seconds, the light faded away, and Sailor Neptune opened her eyes. Uranus! What happened?  
Sailor Uranus' face was grim. It got away, she told her partner. I guess we were just too much trouble for it. Then she looked towards the skyline of Toyko where both of the foreign objects had disappeared. We can't just let that thing roam around Toyko. If it wasn't affected by our attacks, it's doubtful that the other Scouts will have much luck against it either. We have to go back.  
Sailor Neptune nodded in agreement, and sat up. Both Scouts held their talismans, allowing them to be reabsorbed into their bodies. Then their sailor fukus glimmered and disappeared, to be replaced by their normal clothes as they detransformed.  
Let's go, Haruka said with determination, and they both got back into the car. The tires squealed as Haruka spun the vehicle around and accelerated back down the highway the way they had come.

We came straight to Rei's, knowing that all of you would be meeting here, Michiru concluded wearily.  
That... thing, whatever it was, can't be allowed to attack anyone else, Haruka asserted firmly. But we don't know how to destroy it. Our attacks don't work.  
Ami looked thoughtful. It's possible that we could find some way to turn its attack back on itself, she offered. Remember? Like how we defeated the last of the Witches 5 who was too powerful for us.  
And we haven't tried the Sailor Planet Attack on it yet, Makoto added. With Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune too, I'll bet we could fry that thing!  
Did you say it called itself jaki? Rei spoke up. At Michiru's nod, she looked disturbed. Jaki is an evil spirit. And where there is one, there are usually more. What happened to that... hole you told us about?  
Haruka shrugged. It's still there. We couldn't figure out how it got there, much less how to close it up.  
Rei's face drew together in an expression of worry. That's not good. I'm going to have to consult the sacred flames on this one. We must find out exactly what that hole is. If one jaki emerged from there, there will probably be more.  
Usagi had gone pale at all of this, and was being very quiet.  
What's wrong, Usagi-chan? Minako questioned. You look like you're going to be sick.  
Her face crumpled up then. I'm not ready for another enemy yet, she wailed. We just finished the war with the Silence two days ago. Why can't we ever get a break!  
Chibiusa glared at her future mother. Grow up, baka-Usagi, she snorted. The universe is in danger and you want vacation time.  
It's not an unreasonable request! Usagi fumed at the little pink haired girl. If you weren't just trying to be mean to me you'd probably have said the same thing!  
Would not!  
Would too!  
  
  
The two stuck their tongues out and glared at each other.  
Would you two just can it? We've got more important problems, Makoto reminded them firmly. Both girls looked a bit sheepish as they calmed themselves down.  
Ami, do you think you can locate the jaki with your computer? Minako wanted to know.  
I think so. A creature like that should be giving off vast amounts of negative energy, so I ought to be able to track it. Ami pulled out her Mercury computer and started to type quickly.  
There's another piece to this puzzle besides just the jaki, you know, Luna spoke up. Everyone turned to look at the cats, sitting together near Minako.  
That's right, Artemis affirmed. What about that glowing sphere Michiru mentioned? Any ideas?  
Not a one, Makoto replied, and Minako and Usagi shook their heads.  
I'm fairly certain that whatever it was, it wasn't evil, Michiru mused. The energy coming from it was positive energy. It made both of us feel---  
Haruka finished for her, and Michiru nodded in agreement.  
Alive indeed. It was a purifying, strengthening feeling. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't from the same place as the jaki.  
Usagi shook her head. I don't like this at all. It's not fair. Why did this have to happen now? She stood up and began to pace with agitation. We just barely managed to survive our encounter with the Death-Busters. We're all worn out and tired. And now this. I don't think I can take it! she cried melodramatically, sinking back to the floor. Rei looked like she was about to say something, but to everyone's surprise, it was Haruka who stood and went to Usagi.  
Have courage, odango atama. This time we'll all fight together. We'll get to the bottom of all of this, and it'll be over before you know it. Michiru smiled inwardly at this unusual display of tenderness from her friend. She'd always known Haruka had a soft spot for Tsukino Usagi.  
Usagi looked up at Haruka, her blue eyes sparkling with tears, and nodded. All right, Haruka-chan. We do this together.  
I found it! Ami announced suddenly, her eyes fastened to the computer screen. The jaki is at the end of Tenth Street, about to enter the park.  
I'm there, Makoto pronounced as she pulled out her transformation pen. Jupiter Star Power! Makeup!  
The others stood up and produced their pens as well.  
Mercury Star Power!  
Mars Star Power!  
Venus Star Power!  
Uranus Planet Power!  
Neptune Planet Power!  
Moon Prism Power!  
Cosmic Moon Power!  
And then, in unison:   
For a moment, a chaos of colors swirled through the room in the temple as each Scout assumed her form. When the air cleared, eight Sailor Senshi were standing around the table in defensive stances.   
Let's get Sailor ChibiMoon cried, waving her little pink wand, and then all eight were running out the door.  
Luna and Artemis looked at one another. Should we go? Luna asked.  
They probably don't need us, Artemis answered.   
But I'd really like to see this. All eight scouts working together for once! This should be a short battle. Luna rose to her feet. Come on, Artemis.  
The two cats followed the Sailor Scouts to the park, where they found a trail of bodies lying comatose on the ground.  
What happened to them? They're all so pale, Sailor Venus cried in dismay.  
Sailor Mercury knelt down beside the body of a young woman, and scanned her with her VR visor. Her blood has been drained. See? She indicated a set of little holes on the woman's wrist.   
Sailor Neptune looked serious. Well, now we know what the jaki meant by human juice'.  
Sailor Moon wailed, staring at the trail of dejuiced bodies strewn through the park. That thing drinks blood?  
There'll be time for eeewww' later, Sailor Moon. Right now we've got to stop the jaki before it hurts anyone else, Sailor Jupiter reminded her.  
There it is! Sailor Uranus exclaimed, pointing through a grove of trees. Everyone looked up to see the jaki just finishing another of his victims. He removed his fangs, glistening red with the blood, and burped rather loudly.  
Sailor Jupiter grimaced. That's really gross!  
Come on, everybody, don't just stand there, Sailor ChibiMoon scolded, and took off running towards the ugly black creature.   
Sailor ChibiMoon! Come back! Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury both called at once, as they chased after her with the other Scouts close behind.   
The jaki looked up as the group of Sailor-clad girls came thundering towards it, and it dropped the body of the man it had just drained. Its mouth opened, and Sailor Uranus lunged for Sailor ChibiMoon, just managing to grab her and roll out of the way with her before the blast of paralyzing energy could envelop the littlest Sailor Scout.  
Sailor ChibiMoon looked up in amazement at Uranus. she breathed.  
Uranus cocked an eyebrow at her. No problem.  
Burning Mandala!  
Sparkling Wide Pressure!  
Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter combined their attacks and sent a missile of crackling, fiery energy straight at the nasty evil spirit.  
It didn't faze the creature at all; he moved aside with the speed of lightning and the Scouts' energy whizzed harmlessly past, crashing instead into a tree behind him.   
Time for Plan A, Scouts, Sailor Mercury announced, powering up her attack. Mercury Bubbles Blast! A heavy mist filled the park, obscuring everything. Sailor Venus ran towards the jaki, made sure it could see her, and then attacked it.  
Venus Lovely Chain! Her magic chain of golden hearts wrapped itself around the neck of the creature. Angry, the jaki's yellow eyes began to get greener, and it reached up and took hold of the chain, snapping it effortlessly. Sailor Venus' eyes widened. This thing was strong! She turned and ran, with the jaki close behind.   
Weaving between a few trees, Sailor Venus suddenly dodged out of the way. The creature, hot on her trail, let loose another of its dark energy bolts in her direction. But the energy was met by Sailor Neptune's sacred talisman mirror. Neptune gripped the mirror firmly as the negative power struck and reflected itself back towards the jaki. But instead of destroying the thing as everyone had hoped, the energy bolt was simply reabsorbed into the creature to be used again, and the evil spirit kept right on coming, straight at Sailor Neptune.   
Suddenly Neptune felt herself being pushed out of the way, as Sailor Moon grabbed her and flung the both of them behind another tree.   
All right, so Plan A was a wash! Sailor Jupiter's voice could be heard, bellowing through the fog from somewhere behind them. Time for Plan B, my personal favorite!   
Mars Fire Ignite! This came from somewhere off to their left, where Sailor Mars sent a blaze of flames that burned off enough of the fog that the Sailor Scouts could find one another.  
All eight scouts ran to meet around Sailor Mars, but the jaki could see them now too and was also on his way towards them.  
It's no good! Someone's got to keep him busy or we'll never get the Planet Attack powered up! Sailor Moon exclaimed.   
Suddenly there was a swoosh! and the creature stopped to stare in surprise at the red rose that had miraculously appeared in his path. Everyone looked up to see Tuxedo Kamen perched on the branches of a nearby tree, looking for all the world like a great black crow.  
Tuxedo Kamen-sama! Sailor Moon rejoiced.   
Sailor Moon, you've got your hands full. I'll buy you some time. With that, the caped young man leapt from the tree and confronted the jaki himself.  
He won't be able to hold him off by himself for long, Mercury stated. We have no time to lose. Mercury Planet Power! She raised her transformation pen.  
Mars Planet Power!  
Jupiter Planet Power!  
Venus Planet Power!  
Uranus Planet Power!  
Neptune Planet Power!  
Moon Prism Power!  
There were seven transformation pens held high now, sparkling with energy. Carefully Sailor Moon drew the Imperium Silver Crystal from her transformation brooch, and raised it to the center of the others. Cosmic Moon Power!  
Meanwhile, Tuxedo Kamen was fighting the hardest battle of his life. Never had he faced any adversary like this! His cane, which had often doubled as a sword and was stronger and more durable than any regular weapon, didn't seem to have any effect on the evil spirit at all. No matter how many times Tuxedo Kamen struck the jaki with it, the creature waved it away as if it were no more than a pesky bug. Tuxedo Kamen managed to get the jaki's focus off the girls, though, at least for the moment, and that was his main intent. He dodged a blast of dark energy and managed to land a few feet away, where he could use his rose throw attack. The well aimed flower hit the jaki square in the third eye, and yet, the thing scarcely seemed to notice. The rose itself actually shriveled up and disappeared, and the glowing green eye rolled around angrily as the jaki advanced on its enemy. Tuxedo Kamen lunged at it again with his cane, but this time the creature gave him a hard swat across his shoulders that sent him rolling across the grass. The jaki opened its mouth and released another bolt of darkness straight at Tuxedo Kamen's stunned form.   
The Silver Crystal flashed as it captured the energies being thrown at it by the Sailor Scouts. Those powers were magnified within the Crystal until they could no longer be contained, and Sailor Moon's hands shook with the effort of holding onto the Crystal. All eight soldiers cried out in unison.  
SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!!!  
A stream of the brightest energy imaginable burst from the Silver Crystal and struck the evil spirit. The dark creature was knocked off its feet by the blast, and let out a hiss of fury that could better be described as a scream. It hit the ground with a thud that seemed to shake the earth.  
All eight senshi collapsed, having spent almost every last drop of their energy on that one attack.  
We did it! Sailor Venus gasped, gazing at the jaki as it lay on the grass.   
Do you think it's dead? Sailor Mars panted.   
It has to be. Our Planet Attack has never been so strong. Sailor Jupiter wheezed. But as they all watched, the creature began to move again.  
A moment later, it had risen to its feet. Now its three eyes had gone from green to red, and all the Sailor Scouts knew that they were in way over their heads here.  
Sailor Neptune breathed. How could it have survived that?  
Anybody got a Plan C? Sailor Uranus wanted to know in a sarcastic tone.  
The jaki hissed dangerously, and as it began to stalk towards them, Sailor ChibiMoon caught a glimpse of Tuxedo Kamen's limp body, still crackling with the aftershocks of the dark spirit's attack.   
Tuxedo Kamen! she screamed, trying to rise to her feet but collapsing with the effort. The tiny senshi-in-training started to cry. You killed him! she yelled at the creature, who was noticeably unmoved by the pink haired child's tears.  
Sailor Moon's eyes were also suspiciously bright. Tuxedo Kamen-sama! she whispered. Suddenly her face grew hard. Despite the great effort it took, she tried to stand up. If I could do it under the power of Rubeus' gravity crystal, she told herself, then I can do it now. Her legs shaking, she mustered every ounce of strength she had left, and rose to her feet.   
The jaki was close enough now, and it opened its mouth again. A surge of black power shot towards the group of defenseless Sailor Soldiers.  
Sailor Moon shrieked, and she flung out her arms, facing the attack head on in order to protect her friends. She squeezed her eyes tight shut and waited for the paralyzing pain.  
HEAVENLY SYMPHONY!!!!!! A voice sang out from behind them, and suddenly the whole park was filled with the most beautiful music Sailor Moon had ever heard. She opened her eyes in surprise as the melody washed over her, restoring her strength and power almost instantly.  
What on earth?!! She turned to see the other Scouts, who seemed to be having the same reaction to the omnipresent song.   
Then she looked over at the jaki, which was clutching its head and hissing in rage. As the sweet music surrounded the evil creature, it seemed to melt away, and with a final shriek the jaki lost its form and became just a blob of black, oily residue that was quickly absorbed into the ground. Just like that, it was over.   
With wide eyes, Sailor Moon looked up to find the owner of the mysterious musical voice. All the senshi turned their heads to see where that incredible power had suddenly come from. And standing there before them was another Sailor Soldier.  
She was dressed in a peach and black fuku that looked just like any one of theirs, and knee-high black boots with five-inch heels. Her straight blond hair, so light it was almost white, was parted straight down the middle and held away from her face by two simple black clips. Her eyes were dove gray, and carried a soft, haunting look of sorrow that pierced Sailor Moon's heart. There was something familiar about her, but Sailor Moon could not for the life of her remember what it was. The new Sailor Scout approached them, and Sailor Jupiter tensed, ready to jump up and stop the stranger from getting too close.  
But Jupiter's fears were unnecessary, as the newcomer dropped to one knee before Sailor Moon.  
Princess Serenity, she greeted her. Her voice was like the tinkling of golden bells, musical and rich but also delicate. It is an honor to finally be with you again. The stranger looked up and met Sailor Moon's eyes with her own large gray ones, and again Sailor Moon got the feeling she knew this girl from somewhere.  
Who are you? Sailor ChibiMoon demanded, and the new Soldier regarded her with surprise and amusement.  
There will be time for all of that later, little one, she responded sweetly, and rose to her feet. Sailor Moon took a step back in surprise. This new Sailor Scout towered over her. She was even taller than Sailor Uranus! She must be over six feet tall, Sailor Moon thought in astonishment. Even without those heels, she's as tall as Mamo-chan!  
The colassal soldier looked behind Sailor Moon, and saw Tuxedo Kamen and the other people strewn about on the ground beginning to revive again, thanks to her musical healing. Nodding with satisfaction, she smiled again at Sailor Moon. I wish there were time to explain, she said in that tinkling voice, but I have to leave. Just know that I am watching out for you, Princess, and I will always be here when you need me. Then her grey eyes widened. I almost forgot to tell you. The next time you confront jaki, use your Moon Healing Escalation. Physically, they're invincible, and your power attacks cannot harm them at all. But they're evil spirits; if you purify the evil from them there will be nothing left to attack you. The Sailor Scout bowed to Sailor Moon with a natural grace. Goodbye for now. She touched a peach-colored stone set into the golden bracelet on her wrist, and the tall senshi's form shimmered, then disappeared into thin air.   
Who the hell was that? Sailor Uranus demanded, staring at the spot were the peach and black clad Sailor Soldier had disappeared.  
That, Sailor Uranus, was the most powerful of all the Sailor Senshi.  
There was a gasp as a smaller Sailor Soldier shimmered into being next to them.   
Sailor Saturn! Neptune exclaimed.  
Sailor ChibiMoon cried in surprise and pleasure.  
Sailor Saturn smiled in that sweet melancholy way as she addressed Sailor Uranus. You have just met Sailor Orion.  
Sailor Orion? Mercury repeated.  
Sailor Saturn nodded. Sailor Orion is the true Soldier of Sacrifice.  
Uranus shook her short blond hair. I thought YOU were the sacrificial soldier.  
Sailor Saturn's violet eyes darkened. No. It is true that I am the Soldier of Destruction, and to fulfill my destiny I am willing to destroy myself along with the evil I fight. But Sailor Orion is different. She makes a sacrifice of herself outside of her own power, to save the rest of the senshi.  
What do you mean? Sailor Venus wanted to know.  
Sailor Orion is the only Sailor soldier whose power rivals that of the Imperium Silver Crystal. You see, as Sailor Saturn I have the power to destroy. Sailor Moon has the power to heal. But only Sailor Orion has power over the essence of both of these—the soul itself. She represents the very fabric of existence, which is expressed through music. You've just seen her Heavenly Symphony' attack. What did you think of it?  
Sailor Jupiter's eyes clouded for a moment in thought. I felt something. I mean, I could hear this beautiful melody, but it was like I was hearing it with my heart, not my ears.  
It felt like that to me, too, Sailor Mercury agreed. A most unsettling experience. The music felt strong, incredibly powerful in its purity. Like it was cleansing everything it touched.  
Sailor Mars nodded emphatically. I could sense that. The negative forces emanating from that thing we were fighting was completely overcome and nullified by the music somehow.  
Yes, Sailor Mars, Sailor Saturn responded. That's exactly what happened. Sailor Orion calls upon the power of the music of the spheres, the rhythm of all life, to purify and cleanse evil energy. This is almost exactly what the Imperium Silver Crystal does, only Sailor Orion's power can only draw from herself, not from her friends or anyone else. That is where Sailor Moon's strength lies; she can combine the strength of her friends to operate the Crystal while Sailor Orion must always stand alone.  
But how does that power make her a sacrifice? Tuxedo Kamen, now fully restored, joined them from behind and put his hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder. Sailor Moon looked up and him and smiled, and Sailor ChibiMoon wrapped her little arms around his leg and squeezed. He grinned at both of them, but then turned his attention back to the apparition in front of them as she gave him an answer.  
Sailor Saturn smiled again, even more sadly than before. Since the dawn of time, the souls of the Sailor senshi have been reborn again and again, in order that we could go on protecting our universe forever. But in each of those lifetimes, it has at some point become necessary for the spirit of Princess Serenity, the purest heart of us all, to be destroyed so that life can continue. At this point everyone turned to look at Sailor Moon, who had turned a very interesting shade of white. Sailor Saturn nodded almost imperceptibly in her direction. If we lost the Princess' spirit, however, we would also lose the Silver Crystal, because only the Princess and the Queen of the Moon Kingdom are able to use it. And without the Silver Crystal, all of life would disappear anyway. So because Sailor Orion is the only one of us with powers in the same realm as the Princess', she takes the Princess' place and sacrifices herself to save the rest of us. Then she is reborn, to make her sacrifice again, over and over in an eternal cycle. Sailor Orion is quite literally born for the sole purpose of dying.  
Sailor Moon stared at Saturn in horror. That's awful. Then her expression changed to one of determination. There's no reason for us to let it happen again. At least, not in this lifetime. We're all stronger now-- we can find another way this time. No one is going to die for me or anyone else.  
The little Sailor Soldier turned her violet gaze on Sailor Moon with a bemused smile. Every lifetime you say that, Sailor Moon. But when the time comes, you have always been able to understand the deeper truth that allows Sailor Orion's destiny to exert itself. You see, to deny her the ability to fulfill her purpose is to make her sacrifice meaningless. And destroying a friend's destiny is just not in your character, Sailor Moon.  
So, she has revealed herself to us in this lifetime, at least, Sailor Uranus observed. Does this mean that the time of her sacrifice is drawing near? Is that what is behind that creature we were fighting?  
Sailor Saturn shook her head, and her smooth black hair glistened in the sunlight. I honestly do not know, Sailor Uranus. All I do know is that Sailor Orion herself has always decided when the time was right to reveal everything.  
Sailor Moon still felt a bit dazed. Wait a minute, Sailor Saturn. Are you telling me that that girl has That she is  
She is your most faithful and loyal servant, Princess Serenity. Sailor Orion has given up her life for you hundreds of times, and will continue to do so until the end of existence. She has more faith in you and what you stand for than anyone else, including yourself.  
Sailor Moon's eyes widened. What do you mean, hundreds of times? We haven't been reborn that many times. Have we?  
Saturn smiled. Do you really think that the Silver Millenium was the very first lifetime you ever lived? There were at least a hundred before the Silver Millenium ever occurred, Sailor Moon. The souls of the Sailor Senshi were created at the dawn of time, and though even I can't remember all the details, I do know that our purpose was to defend our universe from evil powers that wanted to conquer it. But we have had at least a hundred lifetimes between the dawn of time and the Silver Millenium, and in each one, Sailor Orion has been there, watching over you. Watching over all of us. Making her sacrifice quietly, without anyone ever knowing. She is the only one whose memory is not erased during her rebirth; she is the only one who remembers everything that has happened since the dawn of time and the creation of the Sailor Scouts. She remembers each of her lifetimes, each of her sacrifices, even though the rest of us forget her. Sailor Orion goes through eternity as the Sailor Soldier of Sorrow and Loneliness. Sailor Saturn's eyes glowed softly. Whenever I feel tempted to feel sorry for myself, in my own loneliness, I think of Sailor Orion. She has it much worse.  
Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of pity. Oh, that's just terrible. How could I forget someone who does such a thing for me?  
Sailor Saturn's form shimmered, and she began to fade a little. I'm sorry, I cannot stay, she told them. Just know that, above everything else, you can trust Sailor Orion. No one has earned the right to be trusted more than she.  
Wait, Hotaru-chan! Sailor ChibiMoon cried.  
Sailor Saturn, becoming more translucent with every second, smiled. Hotaru Tomoe was reborn, remember? I cannot stay with you right now, not until the age of her awakening arrives again. Until that time, I must remain the spirit of Saturn without a physical form. But I'll remember you, Chibiusa-chan. I'll be waiting for you. With those last words and another sweet smile, the small purple senshi faded from sight.  
Sailor Moon stared at the spot where Sailor Saturn had just been, and shook her head. I still don't understand. What are we supposed to do about Sailor Orion? How do we find her?  
Sailor Mercury put a hand on her friend's shoulder. We don't. You heard what Sailor Saturn said. I think Sailor Orion will find us. She did say she was watching out for you. Until then we just have to wait.  
A frown crossed Sailor Moon's features. I guess you're right. Then her eyes brightened. But, while we're waiting, let's go for some ice cream! That will make us all feel better. Checking first to make sure no one was watching, Sailor Moon decided it was safe to detransform, since it appeared that everyone had evacuated the park as quickly as they could after regaining conciousness. She could hardly blame them. Usagi detransformed and assumed her regular identity.   
A rich laugh erupted from Haruka, as her sailor fuku glimmered and she detransformed as well. You haven't changed a bit, odango atama.  
Neptune's silvery giggle joined in as she also powered down. Well, I for one think it's a great idea. Our mission is complete, now, Haruka. And taking a break from all this fighting evil sounds very good to me.  
Ice cream it is, agreed Jupiter as the rest of them resumed their normal forms.  
Usagi asked hopefully as her good looking soulmate also resumed his usual attire.  
He grinned at her. Count me in.  
Chibiusa cheered, seizing his hand. Not to be outdone, Usagi grabbed the other one and started pulling Mamoru out of the park.  
Shaking their heads, the four other girls followed, heading towards the center of Tenth street, with a benevolently smiling Michiru and Haruka close behind.

  
[On to Part Two][1]  
[Back to the Library][2]  
[Back to the Refuge][3]

   [1]: fanfic2.htm
   [2]: library.htm
   [3]: SailorOrion.htm



	2. The Music Teacher. A Blind Girl’s Song o...

Part Two: The Music Teacher. A Blind Girl's Song of the Heart

The three golden-cloaked figures were positioned around a great white marble table, staring intently down into the shimmering, mirror-like surface of the Book that lay open before them.  
"Well, Neophilus. It has begun again." The center figure shifted slightly as he spoke.  
"You look disturbed, Demetrius. Is it the Child again?" This came from the figure on his right, whose voice was so majestic and authoritative that the walls themselves seemed to be standing at attention with the sound of it.  
The center figure sighed. "It does not seem right, Neophilus. Why should she have to carry this burden alone? The stability of the Balance is our responsibility, not hers."  
"You know as well as I that she is the only one who can fulfill this duty. And the burden has never been forced upon her without her consent, Demetrius. The Child has always met her destiny of her own free will," the thunderous voice responded.  
The one called Demetrius shook his head. "There must be another way to seal the gate, without causing that sweet soul any more pain."  
"There's no time, Demetrius." The third figure spoke up now for the first time. His voice was scarcely above a whisper, and yet oddly it was the easiest to hear. "Once the gate has been opened, we have only until the vernal equinox to close it again. If it is not resealed in time, you know what the consequences will be."   
Demetrius turned to this third speaker. "I know, Oberon. But..."  
"That never makes it any easier," Neophilus finished for him. "I know. I, too, despise the task ahead of us. But it must be done, Demetrius. We cannot allow our compassion for the Child to facilitate the destruction of everything we are here to protect. The gate must be sealed again."   
The golden figure known as Oberon nodded. "The Balance must be maintained." He indicated the glowing pages of the Book before them, where a silhouette could just barely be made out among the glimmering colors swirling on the page. "She is the key."  
Still, the center figure shook his head. "The humans have a saying-- 'Where there's a will, there's a way.' There just must be another way to save the Child."  
"She is not really a child, Demetrius. Remember?" This came from Neophilus. "She is nearly as old as we are. She understands exactly what she's doing, and why she's needed."  
"Maybe, but still... who are we to ask this of her time and time again? Perhaps we haven't been searching hard enough, to find another way. You keep saying we're running out of time... but unless we put an end to this, it is going to continue for the rest of eternity. We've had plenty of time. So let's DO something about it." Demetrius looked as though he were going to stand, but Oberon reached out and stayed him.  
"You must calm yourself, Demetrius," the soft voice soothed. "We have searched for millenia to find another way to save the Child. If there is indeed another way, we will find it. Your impatience will serve no purpose."  
Demetrius sighed heavily and returned to his seat. "I suppose it's too late to do anything now that the Child has been awakened. There's no choice; we have to go through with it now." His voice lowered with sadness. "But, I dread the disappointment in the Child's face when we must tell her yet again that we have failed to find a way to help her." He shook his head. She has been so patient with us. I really hate having to crush her hopes again.  
Oberon again placed his hand on Demetrius' shoulder. So do we, brother. So do we.  
We should go, Neophilus reminded them gently, and the two others nodded in reluctant agreement. The three figures in golden robes each placed a hand on the open pages of the Book. A warm golden glow enveloped the trio soundlessly, and they disappeared.

Haruka looked up as the young woman nearly collided with Michiru. "Michiru, watch out," she warned, taking her friend's elbow and steering her out of the way.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," the pretty stranger offered.  
Steadying Michiru with her hand, Haruka responded a bit tersely, "You ought to watch where you're going."  
At that, there was a tinkling giggle. "I wish I could."  
Michiru looked up with a puzzled expression, and for the first time got a good look at the girl who had nearly run into them. She was unusually tall, taller even than Haruka. She looked a little older than they were, about seventeen or so, and her pale hair was pulled back in a simple bun. But her most noticable feature were the half-closed, unfocused eyes that were strangely opaque. She held a dog harness in her hand, which was worn by a magnifiscent golden retreiver that watched Haruka and Michiru with liquid brown eyes. With embarrassment, Michiru realized that the young woman was blind.  
"Oh.... we're sorry. Haruka didn't mean..." she fumbled for something to say.  
The girl smiled, revealing a set of perfect pearly teeth. "Don't worry, I don't mind. I'm quite used to it." Then she rubbed the paper she was holding in her hand, and Michiru could see the raised bumps that indicated something written in Braille. "But I seem to have gotten a bit disoriented. I'm looking for Silver Street. Can you tell me where it is?"  
"Silver Street? That's where Usagi lives, isn't it, Haruka?" Michiru questioned, turning to her friend. Haruka nodded a bit curtly, seeming rather disenchanted with the stranger. Michiru raised her eyebrow at her friend's reaction, and turned back to the young woman.  
"We're headed that way ourselves," Michiru told the girl. "Would you like a ride?"   
For a moment,she seemed a bit uncertain, and fumbled with the dog harness. "I suppose... Well, I'm going to be late if I don't get there soon... Yes, thank you. It's very kind of you."  
Stiffly and without a word, Haruka led them to her little convertible, parked at the curb in front of the coffee shop. Michiru held the door for the blind girl, and helped her into the car. Her seeing eye dog curled up next to his mistress on the seat.   
"By the way, I'm Keioh Michiru, and that is Tenou Haruka," Michiru introduced them.   
"It is very nice to meet you, Keioh-san. My name is Giseino Shinzui." The young woman turned to Haruka, who was getting in the car. "I hope you don't mind Centauri riding with us." She indicated her dog. "He's very gentle, so you don't have to worry about him harming anything in your car."  
Haruka grunted. "As long as he doesn't get hair everywhere," she anwered a bit gruffly. Michiru looked at her friend in surprise. Usually Haruka wasn't so unfriendly, especially when meeting a pretty girl for the first time. And despite her handicap, Shinzui was certainly pretty.  
"Haruka, is everything all right?" Michiru asked her quietly, not wanting to offend their guest.  
"Fine," was the terse reply. Haruka started the car, and was startled by a squeak of surprise from her passenger.  
"Something wrong, Giseino-san?" she asked in a tight tone, looking in her rearview mirror.  
"Not at all," Shinzui replied a bit breathlessly. "It's only that... the vibrations from the engine are so strong! This must be a very powerful car."  
At this, Haruka seemed to sneer a little. "It is," she boasted. "Now hang on!"  
Haruka spun the tires as she pulled out into the street, and raced down the road. Shinzui gasped with delight, and tipped her head back to feel the wind in her face. "It's wonderful!" she cried exultantly.  
Michiru turned around in her seat to see their passenger gazing into the sky with sightless eyes, an expression of rapture on her face. "Have you ever been in a car before, Giseino-san?"  
Shinzui turned towards Michiru's voice. "Not in a very long time. Usually I take the city bus, but..." she flung out her arms. "This is nothing even close to it!" She laughed again.  
Haruka glanced in her rearview mirror. "So you like to go fast?" she asked with a wicked grin. "Grab that animal of yours and hang on. I'll give you the ride of your life!" She veered the car onto the highway, and floored the gas. Shinzui squealed with joy as they sped down the street.   
Michiru's eyes widened, and she looked over her shoulder again to check on Shinzui, wanting to make sure that Haruka hadn't frightened her by their considerable speed. She found Shinzui stretching out of her seat to feel the wind rushing past them. Her arms flung out and her head tilted back, she reminded Michiru of a graceful swan in flight. Her clouded eyes were closed now with pleasure as they flew along. Michiru nudged Haruka with a smile, and Haruka also looked back at the young blind woman, completely enraptured by the feel of the speeding automobile. But instead of being pleased or even amused at her passenger's reaction to the acceleration of the car, Haruka scowled blackly and turned her attention back to the road. Michiru was starting to get worried now. Something was definitely wrong with her friend.  
"It's breathtaking," Shinzui called from the back seat. "Just like flying!!" She laughed again. Her retriever, sensing his mistress' excitement, was watching her anxiously as though he were afraid she was going to fall out of the car. But Shinzui was completely oblivious to anything but the feel of the wind against her face. Never before had she experienced anything like it. Another gleeful giggle escaped as Haruka headed the car towards Usagi's part of town.

A little ways outside of Tokyo, the black monument was humming ominously. More dark laughter came from the opening in the space above the monument, as another oily, greasy black drop of liquid oozed from the hole and splattered on the black stone. As the material began to rise and take shape, a raspy, venomous voice sounded from the opening.   
Go, my _jaki_. Drain the little humans. We will find it this time, before the Sacred Child and her worthless guardians do. No one is going to seal us in this time; after so long, we will finally be freed! The reverberating, hideous laughter grew louder as the _jaki_ rolled into a ball and bounced once, twice, three times, soaring into the sky towards the city.

What's that? Minako asked, pointing to one of the large store windows.  
It's a shop of musical instruments, Rei squealed excitedly. Maybe they have a karaoke machine! I could use one, so I can practice performing the songs I write. Let's go, Minako-chan!  
The dark haired girl dragged her blond friend through the shop's door.  
Oooh, look at all the instruments, Rei enthused, gazing around them with glee. She spied a fancy keyboard set up in the corner, and headed straight for it, towing Minako by one hand. Isn't this awesome? It's exactly what I need for my song writing!  
Minako glanced at the price tag. Uhh, Rei-chan, I think we'd better find something you've got the money for. You'd have to save up your allowance for years in order to be able to afford that thing.  
Rei waved her off. Oh, I know that, Minako-chan. I just want to try it out. She pulled out the stool and switched the keyboard on.  
Rei-chan, I don't think the customers are supposed to... Minako was cut off as Rei began to pound out a melody on the keys.  
What are you girls doing? shrieked a woman from the back of the store, as she rushed towards them. Minako blushed furiously and tried to make herself look as small as possible as the other customers in the store turned to see where the ruckus was coming from.   
Rei took her hands off the keyboard. I was just testing the merchandise, she replied defensively.  
This is a very delicate, and very expensive piece of equipment, the lady shrilled as she hit the button that turned the keyboard off. Can't you read?  
Rei and Minako turned to see the sign posted next to the display. _Please do not let children touch the merchandise_, it said in flowing Japanese.  
Well then, there's no problem, Rei retorted, beginning to take on a tone that Minako recognized all too well.  
_ Uh-oh. This means trouble_, Minako thought to herself and tried to back a few steps away without being noticed.  
The sign says children can't touch it, Rei continued self importantly. My friend and I aren't children. We're fifteen years old. She put her hands on her hips and stared defiantly at the shopkeeper.  
The saleslady's eyes narrowed. Then perhaps I ought to amend the sign, she sneered, and pulled a pen out of her apron pocket. She bent down and quickly wrote something on the posted paper. When she straightened up, Rei leaned forward to read it. It now said **_Please do not let children aged fifteen and under touch the merchandise._**  
That's not fair! Rei yelled angrily, her face starting to get red. You did that on purpose, just to be mean. I want to speak with your manager.  
I am the manager, little girl. So run along now with your little friend and stop disturbing my customers, the lady responded.  
Rei was fuming and Minako could practically see smoke coming from her friend's ears. She glanced around nervously at the gathering crowd of people watching the skirmish and felt very embarrassed. Rei-chan, maybe we should just go... she began, but Rei ignored her and began to shout at the woman.  
That's no way to treat your customers, lady! Someone ought to report you!  
If you don't leave at once, I'm calling security!   
Go ahead and call them then. I'll tell them how rude you are. I'll tell everyone. No one will ever come to your dumb shop anymore, I'll see to it!  
If you dare spread lies about me... I'll have to have a little talk with your parents!  
Good luck! I hope you enjoy cemetaries, because that's where you'll find them!  
So you're an orphan, huh? Well, that explains your ill-mannered behavior!  
What's that supposed to mean?  
Minako was standing with her hands over her ears as Rei and the stranger bickered. Suddenly, there came a bloodcurdling scream from one of the onlookers, and the crowd of people began to scatter with astonishing speed.   
Rei and the saleslady stopped yelling and stared, as the _jaki_ dropped the body it was holding and snatched another victim from the dispersing group. It looked up and grinned at them, its three arms wrapped around the form of an old man, and then sunk its fangs into the man's arm.  
A monster!! In my shop! the saleswoman cried in terror, forgetting all about Rei and their argument. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out cold on the floor.  
Rei, what do we do? We can't transform in front of all these people! Minako whispered to the young priestess.   
I'll call for help. You duck into the bathroom over there and transform, Rei hissed, already flipping out her communicator.  
Minako nodded, and took off for the bathroom.  
Usagi-chan, Ami-chan. Anybody! It's Rei. We're in trouble here!

**********

We're here, Haruka announced shortly as she turned onto Silver Street.  
What house number are you looking for? Michiru asked their fair haired passenger.  
Shinzui rubbed the paper in her hand. It's 417 Silver Street, she answered after a moment.  
That... That's Usagi's house! Michiru exclaimed in surprise. How do you know her, Giseino-san?  
Shinzui cocked her head to one side. Actually, I'm a music teacher, she responded, and apparently a new piano student of mine lives there. Tsukino Chibiusa. Do you know her?  
Michiru nodded. Yes, she's a friend of ours. I didn't know she was interested in music.  
Just then Haruka pulled the car over to the curb. This is her house, she told them flatly, her voice still clearly indicating that she was unhappy about something.  
Thank you so much, Shinzui said to both of them as Michiru helped her out of the car. Centauri bounded out after them. Listen, I don't know if either of you is at all interested in music, but I've been asked to teach an advanced musical performance class at the university for the next few months. They don't usually enroll high school students, but since a high school student is teaching the class, I think they'll have to make exceptions. Shinzui handed Michiru a flyer from the bag attatched to Centauri's harness. If you'd like to come, I'd love to have you.  
Haruka only shrugged in response. Michiru looked at her friend with concern, and turned to smile at Shinzui. We appreciate it, she thanked her. I'd love to attend your class.  
I'd better go so I'm not late, Shinzui told her with a gentle smile, grasping Centauri's harness firmly.  
You'll like Chibiusa, Michiru offered. She's a sweet little girl.  
Shinzui's smile widened, and her sightless eyes almost seemed to twinkle a bit. All girls are sweet, she responded. Even the ones who would like to pretend they aren't.  
At this comment Haruka glanced up at the young blind woman, whose face remained innocent. It was impossible to tell whether or not that last remark had been directed at her, and yet somehow Haruka felt certain that it was.  
It was very nice meeting you both, Shinzui said as she gave a small bow. Thank you again for your help.  
You're very welcome, Giseino-san, Michiru answered.  
Please, call me Shinzui.  
Michiru smiled in agreement.   
Shinzui smiled back. I'll see you later, she called as Centauri led her up the front walk to Usagi's house.  
Michiru waved, then got back into the convertible next to Haruka. What on earth was that about? she inquired of her friend.  
Haruka stared at Michiru for a moment as if she was seeing a stranger. I... I don't know, she responded vaguely, feeling a little embarrassed. Something about that girl... I felt this powerful disgust come over me and I don't know why. She shook her head. Strange... I've never met her before. But I don't like her. No, wait, it's more than that. I think I truly _dislike _her.  
Michiru frowned. But why?  
Haruka shook her head again, her expression a puzzle of confusion. I just don't know.  
Usagi answered the door, a bit out of breath. Sorry you had to wait. We were just... Her voice trailed off as she got a good look at her very tall visitor.   
Shinzui smiled at her. Hello. I'm Giseino Shinzui, the piano teacher. You must be Tsukino Usagi.  
Usagi regained her composure, remembering that it was impolite to call attention to a handicapped person's infirmity. How did you know?  
Two of your friends were kind enough to give me a ride to your house, Shinzui replied. Keioh Michiru and Tenou Haruka. They're very nice girls. They think highly of you and your little sister.  
Sister? Chibiusa's not my sister, she's my cousin, Usagi was quick to clarify. _Of course, that isn't really true_, she thought to herself with an inward giggle. _But I can hardly go around telling people she's my future daughter, now can I?_  
Is she here? Is she here? Chibiusa's excited cries could be heard as the little girl bounded down the stairs, her pink ponytails bouncing with every step. Usagi turned around.  
Grow up! she yelled at her future child. A real lady NEVER RAISES HER VOICE!!! She turned back to Shinzui with an exaggerated politeness. Won't you please come in, Giseino-san?  
Please, you may call me Shinzui, the young woman offered with amusement. Usagi took her hand to help her through the door, and at her touch, Shinzui suddenly froze. Her vacant eyes grew large and she gasped almost imperceptibly. It's her! she thought. Who would have thought I would find her so soon? Before Usagi could notice, though, Shinzui had relaxed and was once again smiling. She accepted Usagi's hand and stepped into the hallway, where Chibiusa had rushed in to greet her.  
You're here! the child enthused. I've been waiting forev... her voice also trailed off as she got a good look at her new music teacher. Your eyes look funny, she observed curiously.  
Usagi scolded. You're not supposed to...  
It's all right, Shinzui cut in sweetly. I really don't mind. Children are so honest, you know. They say what they think. It's hard to blame them for that. With that, Shinzui knelt down in front of Chibiusa, locating the little girl by the sound of her voice and the warmth of her small body. She smiled in the most encouraging way she could. The reason my eyes look different than yours, Chibiusa, is because when I was just a baby, I got very sick, and I lost my eyesight.  
You mean, you're blind? Chibiusa wanted to know.  
Shinzui nodded. That's right.  
Chibiusa paused, trying to find a way to ask her question without offending her new teacher. ... how can you play the piano if you can't see?  
The pretty blind girl smiled again at the child. The first lesson you must learn, Chibiusa, is that music doesn't come from the fingers, or the lips, or the instrument. Music comes from your heart. If you can feel the music inside you, then it will always flow from the rest of your body perfectly. She stood up then. Come, I will show you.  
Chibiusa led the seeing eye dog and Shinzui into the living room, where a small piano sat against one wall. Here. Ikuko-mommy used to play the piano, and when I told her I wanted to learn, she said I could use hers.  
Shinzui bent and reached out a hand until she could feel the edge of the piano bench. Settling herself on it, she flexed her long slender fingers, and waved her hands lightly over the keys until she located middle C. Positioning herself then, she began to play softly, a lovely, tinkling tune.  
My fingers know where the keys are, she told her student as she played. I don't have to tell them. I just listen to the music inside myself, and then let it out into the piano.   
Chibiusa's eyes widened as she listened to the magical notes being brought to life by the sightless young girl. That's beautiful, she sighed.   
Usagi entered the room and settled herself on the low sofa. She too was soon entranced by the delicate melody. So pretty, she mused dreamily. Can you really teach Chibiusa to play like that?  
Shinzui smiled. I can teach her to bring music out of the piano, she said, but I can't teach her how to bring it out of herself, not unless her heart is open and she is willing to listen to the music of her own spirit.  
Oh, I am! Chibiusa assured her. Really! But... Shinzui-san, how do you read music without being able to see the notes?  
Shinzui beckoned to Centauri, and he came to her obediently so she could open the bag on his harness. She pulled out several sheets of paper. These are for you, she said, handing half of them to Chibiusa, and these are for me.  
Chibiusa took the papers eagerly and looked them over. It was very simple sheet music, with basic notes and some very fundamental tunes. Then she looked over at the papers her teacher was holding. They were blank! Chibiusa frowned.  
Yours don't have anything written on them, she pointed out.  
Yes, they do, Shinzui contradicted sweetly. Here. Feel.  
Chibiusa ran her finger down one of the blank papers. It's bumpy! she cried in surprise.  
That's right. Those bumps are called Braille. I can't read with my eyes, so instead I read with my fingers, Shinzui informed her in that tinkling voice.  
I want to feel! Usagi cut in, jumping up and coming over to touch the Braille papers. Chibiusa shoved her backwards.  
Go away, Usagi. This is my music lesson, not yours.  
I can be here if I want to. It's my house.  
I'm gonna call Ikuko-mommy if you don't leave us alone!  
Why do you have to be such a brat? I just want to feel the papers she's got.  
Shinzui-san is my teacher. You go away.  
You can't make me.  
IKUKO-MOMMY!! USAGI WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!!  
MOM!! CHIBIUSA'S BEING MEAN TO ME!  
Shinzui listened to the argument with amused curiosity, not sure how to respond. Finally she cut in. Please, don't argue, girls. I'll be happy to show Usagi the Braille sheet music. But then we really ought to begin Chibiusa's lesson.  
The effect of her soft, melodious voice was magical. Both girls calmed down almost immediately. Usagi reached over to feel the papers Shinzui was holding.  
Very... bumpy, she announced, and Chibiusa rolled her eyes. Satisfied, Usagi returned to her seat on the sofa.  
Come sit next to me now, Chibiusa, Shinzui instructed, patting the bench next to her. The little girl did as she was told. Now, when you are playing the piano, your back should be straight and your feet flat on the floor. That's right. Now hold your wrists level, like this, and just touch the keys with the pads of your fingers, like this...  
After about ten minutes of basic technique, Usagi was getting bored. She yawned and stretched a little. Shinzui began to show Chibiusa some simple scales, and Usagi wondered how much longer the lesson was going to take. _Learning piano sure isn't as easy as it sounded_, she thought to herself. _Who knew there was so much you had to remember? _She yawned again.  
Shinzui listened intently as her young student repeated the scale she had just played, and nodded. That's very good, Chibiusa. But try not to punch the keys with your fingers. It only takes a light touch. Watch again. She played the scale again, her slender fingers caressing the keys softly. Now you try.  
Chibiusa tried again, this time doing her best to make her short fingers flow as easily as Shinzui's had.   
That's better, Shinzui nodded encouragingly. Now I think-- Suddenly her head snapped up, and she seemed to be listening to something. Centauri looked up at his mistress' abrupt motion and moved to her side immediately. An expression of concern appeared on her face.  
Chibiusa frowned, and Usagi looked up to see why the teacher had broken off mid-sentence. Is something wrong, Shinzui-san? Chibiusa asked anxiously.  
I'm sorry, Chibiusa. I have to cut our lesson short today. We'll make up for it next time, I promise. Shinzui stood up and took hold of her guide dog's harness.  
Usagi also rose to her feet, and both girls followed the blind girl to the door.  
But, Shinzui-san, Chibiusa protested.   
Shinzui offered her a smile. There's something I have to do, Chibiusa, and it can't wait. I'm sorry. I'll see you next week and we'll double our lesson time. In the meantime, practice what I've shown you today. The young woman and her dog went out the door.  
Chibiusa called, opening the door and preparing to chase after her. She stopped short at the edge of the doorstep and stared out into the front lawn in puzzlement. Shinzui and her retriever had vanished. They were nowhere to be found. Chibiusa looked up and down the street, but there was no sign of either of them. That's wierd, Chibiusa muttered to herself.  
Just then, Usagi's communicator went off. Usagi pulled it out.   
Rei-chan! What's going on? she asked as her friend's image crackled into view.   
Usagi-chan! Minako-chan and I are downtown, at the musical instruments shop. There's a _jaki_ here tearing up everything and draining people faster than we can get them out! You've got to get here right away!  
Usagi affirmed. We're on our way! She snapped the communicator off. Come on, Chibiusa-chan. We have work to do!

The _jaki_ dropped the old man's body and its eyes fastened on Rei, still holding her communicator. It headed straight for her.   
Oh, no you don't, Rei warned, pulling out one of her evil spirit charms and chanting over it. Evil spirit, begone! she ordered, flinging the strip of paper with its Japanese symbols at the advancing creature.   
The charm struck the thing on the forehead, and it screeched in pain as the paper melted the top of its head away. Three arms thrashing wildly, it managed to sieze the enchanted paper with one of them and tear it away, tossing it aside with fury. In the process one of its arms was also melted, and the other two continued to wave menacingly as the_ jaki_ opened its mouth and sent a bolt of dark energy directly at the young priestess.   
Venus Lovely Chain! came the cry from behind her, and Sailor Venus' chain of golden hearts wrapped itself around Rei and pulled her out of the way of the attack.  
It's your turn now, Sailor Venus called to Rei, and Rei didn't have to ask her what she meant. She dashed for the bathroom door as Venus prepared to hold off the monster alone.  
Enraged at having lost its prey, the _jaki_ targeted Sailor Venus next. It charged her, with its two remaining arms swaying. Sailor Venus stood still for as long as she dared, then leapt up over the creature's head and landed behind him. Before it could turn around, she quickly powered up her attack.  
Venus Crescent Beam, Smash!  
Her blast of golden energy struck the thing on the back, and it spun around, hissing dangerously. _The _jaki_ wasn't even bruised by that, _Sailor Venus thought anxiously. If Sailor Moon doesn't get here soon, we're all in trouble! She dodged as the _jaki_ sent another stream of dark energy at her, crashing rather ungracefully against a large drumset set up against the wall. One of the cymbals had a sharp edge that cut into her arm, leaving a bleeding gash. But instead of striking the ground where she'd been standing a moment before, the bolt of darkness changed its direction and headed straight for her.  
Venus' eyes widened and she scarcely had time to realize what had happened before she was engulfed with the paralyzing pain. A flood of darkness surrounded her, and she fainted.  
Human juice! the creature hissed exultantly, staring greedily at the blood streaming from the defenseless Sailor Venus' arm. It took a step in her direction.  
Stop right there! Sailor Mars bellowed, exploding from the bathroom with a force that nearly took the door off its hinges. How dare you attack my friend, you big blob of tar! I am Sailor Mars, champion of Justice and Fire, and in the name of Mars, I'll punish you for hurting her!  
Sailor Mars powered up her attack, as a ring of fiery spheres formed around her, each displaying a different Japanese character. BURNING MANDALA!! Mars announced, sending the full power of her attack straight at the ugly thing.  
The _jaki_ hissed again as it was engulfed by the flames, but a moment later it emerged from the smoke without so much as a singed eyelash. The creature cackled wickedly and opened its mouth, blasting evil power at the Sailor Scout. Sailor Mars rolled out of the way, but the black energy crashed into the fancy keyboard set that Rei had been admiring earlier. Sailor Mars couldn't help a smirk as she saw the destruction. So much for the very delicate, very expensive piece of equipment', she muttered.  
The monster turned to face her, and Sailor Mars' grin disappeared as another bolt of black lightning struck her full in the face, knocking her backwards onto the baby grand piano. I always dreamed of performing with one of these, Sailor Mars moaned as the evil energy paralyzed her body. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind. The pain was terrible, and after a moment Sailor Mars blacked out.  
The _jaki_ grunted with satisfaction and again took a step toward Sailor Venus, licking its swollen black lips. But this time it was stopped by a new voice, a voice so sweet and musical that the creature seemed immobilized by it.  
I don't think so, _jaki_. The evil spirit turned to see another Sailor Senshi, peach bows flying, perched on top of a shelf of music books and instruction manuals, her long legs crossed gracefully. The new Sailor's silver-gray eyes glittered threateningly. In your pursuit of human blood, you destroy things that were designed for humans to express the deepest parts of their souls. She rose to her feet, balancing on the shelf as though it were the easiest thing in the world. The constellations rule everything, from the dawn of time to the end of the age. The music of the spheres contains the essence of life. I am Sailor Orion, and with the melody of Orion, I will protect the music of this world from being silenced by evil spirits like you.  
With one easy leap, Sailor Orion landed on the shop floor in front of the _jaki_. She raised an eyebrow at the evil thing, and it nervously took a step back, not liking the look in this girl's eye. Sailor Orion gave a half-smile. Afraid? You should be. From behind her ssuddenly there rose a glass sphere, the size of a basketball. The sphere glowed warmly, and seemed to be humming. There was a strange marking on it-- a symbol that looked like a triangle topped with a capital T whose top line curved downward like an archer's bow.   
The _jaki seemed_ to recognize the thing, because it let out a faint whimper and tried to back away. Sailor Orion smirked again, and tossed her shoulder-length, pale hair. I see you're familiar with my little toy. The shining ball's light began to get a little brighter, and the evil spirit whimpered again. Sorry about this, old boy, Sailor Orion grinned. But I just can't have you running around destroying musical instruments whenever you feel like it. Goodbye. With that, she flicked her wrist, and sang sweetly: Heavenly Symphony!  
The glow from the sphere intensified suddenly, and so did the melody it was humming. The song filled the shop with its purifying, life-giving strength. The _jaki_ shrieked as the cleansing power of the music penetrated its form, nullifying all its evil energy. Without its power, the creature melted back into a small puddle of oily goo, which was quickly absorbed into the floor and disappeared from sight. Sailor Venus moaned as the paralyzing effects of the evil spirit's attack were removed, and the cut on her arm closed up and healed itself, as if by magic. Sailor Mars also began to stir, and the _jaki_'s victims were restored to health by the sweet, intense beauty of the music.   
Sailor Orion was singing absentmindedly to the melody of the sphere as it did its work:  
Just come to me  
Watch me glittering, glittering, glittering  
Then feel the beat  
You'll start glittering, glittering now  
Love creates the shimmer  
Makes the moonlight glimmer  
Come and dance with starlight and we'll turn the world around...  
She was interrupted by Sailor Moon's call.  
Sailor Orion! Sailor Moon gasped, standing up from behind a giant tuba display. You saved Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars, all by yourself!  
The willowy senshi turned to Sailor Moon with a smile. Princess Serenity, she acknowledged with a low, elegant bow. Then she winked at Sailor Moon. You were late, as usual.  
Sailor Moon pouted. We got here right after you did, she retorted indignantly. We just...  
Wanted to see what I'd do? Sailor Orion finished for her with a lifted eyebrow. Sailor Moon blushed, but was spared the discomfort of an answer by Sailor ChibiMoon.  
Yeah, we wanted to watch you vaporize that thing, Sailor ChibiMoon jumped in with excitement.  
Sailor Orion regarded the little pink senshi curiously. Funny, I have no memory of you, she mused in her bell-like voice. Where do you come from?  
From the future. This came from Sailor Mars, who was finally managing to sit up. Sailor ChibiMoon is Sailor Moon's-- I mean, Neo-Queen Serenity's-- future daughter.  
Sailor Orion's silvery eyes widened. Ah, that explains it, she nodded. I thought the two of you seemed a lot alike.  
Sailor Moon straightened up. We are not! she protested, and Chibiusa was quick to agree.  
That's right. I'm nothing like her. She's irresponsible, and immature, and self-absorbed--  
Who are you calling self-absorbed? Sailor Moon scowled.  
You, that's who, Sailor ChibiMoon taunted back, sticking out her tongue.  
Sailor Venus covered her ears with her hands. Will you guys shut up? she exclaimed in a tone that made both senshi stare at her in surprise. Sailor Venus moaned and stood up unsteadily. I have a screaming headache, and I've been listening to nothing but arguments for the last half an hour. She stared pointedly at Sailor Mars, who averted her eyes to the floor guiltily. I'm sick of it! I want some peace and quiet, and I want it right now, you understand?  
Sailor Moon and Sailor ChibiMoon nodded, abashed.   
I'm sorry, Sailor Venus, Sailor ChibiMoon offered.  
Me, too, Sailor Moon chimed in. You're right. We ought to at least try to get along.  
Sailor Orion grinned at both of them. Like mother, like daughter, she commented. Before they could protest again, she held up a white-gloved hand. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, Princess. You are the dearest person to me in the universe. The world could use a few more people with hearts like yours.  
I'm not sure the world is big enough for more than one, Sailor Mars grunted, sliding off the piano and testing her legs once again.   
Sailor Orion, Sailor Moon began. I was wondering... who are you, really? I mean, what are you doing here? What are those things we're fighting, and why are they drinking human blood? And what is that glass ball-thing?  
Sailor Orion turned to Sailor Moon, her face very grave. I'm sorry, Princess Serenity. But the time is not right for the answers to your questions. Right now, the less you know, the safer you will be. Your safety is my first priority, Princess, and I will not put you in unnecessary danger by revealing things you do not yet need to know. Then her expression softened. I can answer the last question, in part. This glass ball-thing' as you called it, the sphere hovered in the air and moved towards them, is the Orion Music Sphere. It contains within it the essence of what makes life possible. Call it a melody, a rhythmn, a heartbeat-- whatever you like. The Orion Sphere has the power to magnify the music inside of me, the essence of my own existence; and reflect it outward to purify the area around it. Of course, that is not nearly the limit of its powers, but for now, it is sufficient.  
Sailor ChibiMoon breathed, reaching out a hand towards the Music Sphere.  
Sailor Orion smiled again, and was about to respond when suddenly the glass sphere began to pulse rhythmically with light and a gentle beeping sound. Sailor ChibiMoon snatched her hand away, startled. The towering senshi spun around and looked at her floating, glowing ball in wonder. So, they've found me already! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised-- they never have been ones to waste time. She turned back to Sailor ChibiMoon and made a sweeping bow.. I am honored to meet you, little Princess of the Moon, she declared sweetly. I will be watching out for you as well. She straightened, and then repeated the bow to Sailor Moon. I have an appointment to keep. You must excuse me, Princess... she lowered her voice so that only Sailor Moon could hear her now, or should I say, Tsukino Usagi?  
Sailor Moon gasped and backed away, and her blue eyes widened considerably. Sailor Orion winked at her, her dove-gray eyes shining mischieviously.  
Puzzle over that one for a while, she giggled. Until next time, Princess. Sailor Orion raised her arm and pressed the peach stone on her bracelet, and a moment later she had disappeared.  
How does she do that? Sailor ChibiMoon wanted to know, staring at the spot where the powerful Sailor Soldier had just been standing the second before.  
Sailor Venus examined her arm where her wound from the cymbal had been completely healed. She couldn't even find a faint scar. I don't know, she responded, moving her arm experimentally, but that power of hers is incredible! Not even a trace of the cut is left.  
Sailor Mars glanced around them at the other customers who were beginning to stir. Uhh, guys, we probably ought to get out of here if we don't want this to turn into a major autograph session. She turned to Sailor Moon, who was still staring dumbly at the spot where Sailor Orion had vanished.   
She knows who I am! How could she possibly know who I am?!  
Sailor Moon? Sailor Mars inquired, waving a hand in front of her leader's face. Earth to Usagi!   
Sailor Moon shook herself and nodded. Sailor Mars is right. We should go. I'd better not tell them yet, not until I find out what that Sailor Orion is up to. She said that knowing too much could put us in danger.  
All four Scouts headed for the doors, only to be greeted by Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury, arriving quite out of breath.  
You two missed all the fun, Sailor ChibiMoon informed them importantly. What took you so long?  
We were... studying... at Mako-chan's... house, Sailor Mercury explained in between gasps.  
And I live... on the other side of town... so...  
You ran all the way here, Sailor Venus finished for her. Sailor Jupiter nodded.  
Sailor Moon shook her head, forgetting the mystery of Sailor Orion for the moment with this opportunity to tease. Tsk, tsk, Mako-chan. Getting so tired after such a short run! You really ought to get into shape you know. I go for a run every morning.  
That's because you're always late for school, Sailor Mercury pointed out. Speaking of which, you were supposed to be studying with us today. Or did you forget?  
Sailor Moon scowled and tossed her head, her long ponytails flying. Some things are more important than school, Ami-chan.  
I wonder if that's what Mamoru will say when we tell him about it, Sailor Mars taunted as the Sailor senshi headed down the street, away from the shop.  
Rei-chan! If you dare--  
Well, if she doesn't tell him, I will, Sailor ChibiMoon cut in.  
You'd better not, you little brat! Or else! Sailor Moon threatened.   
Or else what?  
Or else this!! Sailor Moon yanked one of ChibiMoon's pink ponytails.  
OWW!! Take that!  
Little brat! How do you like THIS?  
All four of the other senshi had taken enough of their bickering, and as they disappeared over the top of the hill, heading for home, they cried out in unision, loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear:  
WOULD YOU TWO PLEASE SHUT UP?!!!!! 

[Back to Part One][1]  
[On to Part Three][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic1.htm
   [2]: fanfic3.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	3. A mysterious quest and the glitter of lo...

Part Three: A mysterious quest and the glitter of love! Shinzui is a mentor!

The three figures in golden robes straightened as a silhouette approached them through the mists. They bowed low to the newcomer as she arrived.  
Child. We meet again. The thunderous voice was tamed with reverence.  
The girl nodded, her face obscured by the darkness and steam from the hissing pipes above and below them. The meeting place had remained the same for as long as any of them could remember. At one time it had been a simple cave carved out of the rocks by an ancient glacier; now it was part of a system of the wires and pipes that connected Tokyo, far below the city streets. The spot was filled with heat and mists from the water pipes and electrical wiring, and smelled faintly musty, as though the rock walls that had stood for thousands of years were not at all pleased by this recent invasion by human technology. The only light came from the occasional electric torch ensconced in the walls at random intervals, for the benefit of the repair crews who rarely entered this place. These shed a startling bluish-white light over everything, and though the light was so bright that one could hardly stand to look directly at it, the absolute darkness of the underground tunnels swallowed it up greedily so that only a faint, pale blue glow remained.  
The Sacred Child's voice was sweet and full of welcome. Neophilus. Oberon. There was a slight pause, and a smile entered her tone. A light, silvery jingle from her bracelets echoed as she extended her hand to the center figure.  
The cloaked Guardian bent to kiss the proffered fingers. His voice was very soft.  
A hiss of steam lifted the girl's long shimmering hair, and it glittered blue in the glow of the electric lamps. Her eyes were highlighted to a brilliant sapphire for the briefest of moments before her features were again shrouded by the darkness. Well, Guardian Brother. Tell me. Have you found it? Anyone who had not known her for millenia would never have detected the carefully masked hope in her question. But Demetrius heard it, and his heart sank as he lowered his head. He could not bring himself to say the words.  
Oberon did it for him. I'm sorry, Child. His intense whisper reverberated around them. We have searched as incessantly as ever. But I'm afraid the answer has not been found yet.   
Demetrius felt the Sacred Child's hand tremble in his, almost imperceptibly, and he found his voice again. We will find it, Child. I swear to you we will. His fervent promise echoed against the sweating metal of the pipes.  
The girl responded in a gentle, tender tone that betrayed none of the disappointment he knew she was feeling. It's all right, Guardian Brother. I know you have done your best-- all of you have. A smile entered her voice again. I have faith in you. The answer will be found someday. Then the smile disappeared. But until that someday' arrives, we are going to have to do this the old-fashioned way. There's something else that needs to be found.  
Oberon nodded. The Silver Dagger.  
The Child inclined her head in agreement. Yes, Guardian Friend. So do any of you have any ideas where to start looking?  
We do know one thing, Neophilus spoke up. The Silver Dagger has been liquified this time, before being reintroduced into the world after the last Sacrifice.  
Her eyebrow lifted. she repeated slowly. Ah, that explains it.  
Demetrius questioned.  
There have been jaki appearing all over the city, the girl explained. Her long white gown fluttered for an instant as a draft from one of the vents in the floor wafted warm air towards them. They have been draining human blood.  
The Avatar always did seem to have a head start on us in the search for the Dagger, Oberon mused. Luckily for us, his henchmen were never very subtle. He paused. So... the Silver Dagger, in liquid form, has most likely been inscribed into the blood of a human.  
Neophilus agreed. Yes, that would be the logical conclusion, he concurred.   
The center figure shook his head, the hood of his golden robe glimmering with blue sparks in the dull light. There are millions of people in this city, Demetrius pointed out. How will we ever find the Silver Dagger in time?  
The Sacred Child turned to Neophilus. How much time do we have, Guardian Father?  
Neophilus answered her matter-of-factly. We have four months until the vernal equinox, Child.  
She nodded and turned back to Demetrius. Fear not, Guardian Brother. We will find it in time. We always have.  
But how do we even start looking? Demetrius wanted to know.  
The Sacred Child sounded amused as she responded, Well, I would suggest that the three of you take jobs at a blood bank. I'm going to keep my eye on the Avatar's jaki. We cannot allow him to find the Dagger first.  
The golden figures all bowed again in deference. Suddenly, a light chirping noise was heard as a round stone set into the Child's silver belt began to pulse with light, illuminating the symbol imprinted there. She spoke again. They are tracking us. It is not safe for us to congregate for so long. We must separate.  
She leaned forward and placed a kiss on Neophilus' forehead. Safe questing, Guardian Father.  
Oberon recieved a warm handshake. Safe questing, Guardian Friend.  
Then the Sacred Child turned to Demetrius and wrapped him in a hug. Safe questing, Guardian Brother.   
Demetrius held the girl's slight frame in his arms for a moment, and his heart clenched. I will find the answer this time, Child, he whispered in her ear so that only she could hear it. I promise you... the Sacrifice will be avoided this time.   
The Child squeezed him a bit tighter as she whispered back, Please, Demetrius. You mustn't make promises you can't keep. Everything will turn out all right in the end, you'll see. Be strong, Guardian Brother. Then she pulled away.    
Go now, all of you.  
Her three Guardians touched their foreheads in salute. Safe questing, Sacred Child. Then their forms shivered and melted away into the mists.  
The girl watched them go, her expression unreadable in the darkness. Then she turned and walked back the way she had come. The hissing steam enveloped her, and the ancient tunnels were empty once more.

Michiru and Haruka entered the university classroom, where other students were already beginning to assemble. There was a small upright piano to the left of the desk, and a set of drums and other percussion instruments stored neatly against the opposite wall. Rows of desks had been set up, nearly filling the room. The two girls managed to find seats near the east windows.  
As she put her violin case and school bag under her chair, Michiru glanced up at her friend. I'm glad you decided to come with me, Haruka.  
The tall blond nodded. I want to find out what's going on. I've never felt like that around anyone, the way I did with Shinzui. She shook her head, remembering the strange feelings of hatred that had washed over her inexplicably at the sight of the blind girl. It wasn't fair of me... I want to give her another chance.  
Michiru smiled. I think you're right, Haruka. You were probably just having a difficult day when we met her, and you took it out on unintentionally."  
Haruka's sky-blue eyes clouded at the memory. I hope that's what it was. But even so, I was wrong to have been so rude to her. I'm going to apologize to her for   
Her teal-haired friend winked at her. Now that's the Haruka I know and love. Never hates without a darn good reason... but once she finds one... look out! Michiru's aqua eyes widened in mock terror, and Haruka snorted in derision, though she did give her friend a half-grin.  
The quiet conversations that filled the music room were quickly muffled and brought to silence as the door opened and a beautiful golden retriever entered, leading the very tall fair-haired girl that Michiru and Haruka had encountered two days before. The guide dog brought his mistress to the desk, where she reached out and felt for the edge. Once she had established its location, she swung the bag she was carrying off her shoulder and set it on the desk, then gracefully located the chair and sat down. She pulled out some papers and a clipboard, and set them on the desk.  
Haruka felt her jaw tense at the sight of her. What's wrong with me? she wondered silently, willing herself to relax. But her muscles remained rebelliously tightened. _Who is this girl? How can she have this effect on me when she's never done anything to deserve it? _Suddenly she felt Michiru's hand on her shoulder, and she looked up into her partner's concerned face. Haruka shook her head in response to the unasked question there. _No, I'm not all right. I don't understand what's going on._ She turned back to the front of the classroom, and deliberately forced herself to watch Shinzui as she prepared to introduce herself.  
Hello, everyone. Shinzui's melodious voice, quiet as it seemed, filled the room somehow with its gentleness. My name is Giseino Shinzui. But since most of you who are taking this class are older than me, I'd prefer being called Shinzui, if you don't mind. She smiled at them, her half-closed eyes seeming to be focused on some far distant point beyond the surface of the floor.  
Haruka felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle at the sound of the young teacher's voice. _This is ridiculous_, she chided herself. _What's wrong with me?_  
Shinzui slid herself on top of the big teacher's desk, and her legs swung absently as she began to speak. Now, when most of you signed up for this class, they probably told you that I was a musical prodigy, a virtuoso', so to speak, and that is why a second-year high school student is being allowed to teach music at a university level. Let me say, first of all, that I do not consider myself a virtuoso. To be honest, I don't think I even believe in such a thing. Music is not something which can be learned. Music must be developed; and that is why I am here.  
I am going to show each of you where music comes from in yourselves. Beyond that, there is not much I can do for you. It will be up to each of you to bring out the music in your own hearts. I can teach you to play an instrument, read notes from a piece of paper, or even to understand the emotions behind each composition. But none of these things will make you good musicians. I am not here to teach music theory. I am here to help you discover that you can make each musical piece your own. That is where a musician's power lies; in taking any piece of music and finding out what it means to them, then sharing those feelings with the rest of the world. Shinzui felt about next to her on the desk until she found the clipboard, and she scanned the page with her fingertips. She paused when she got about halfway down the paper, and a slight smile curved her lips. Is Keioh Michiru present today?  
Michiru's eyes widened, but she rose to her feet. Yes, Shinzui-san. I'm here.   
Haruka turned to look at her friend, then back at the young blind woman whose presence filled her with disgust. Her eyes narrowed. _Why is it that I don't trust her?_ she wondered.   
Shinzui smiled, and raised her head in the direction of Michiru's voice. They tell me that you are quite an accomplished violinist. Did you bring your instrument today? she inquired.  
Michiru glanced down at her violin case. Uh... yes, I did, _sensei_.   
Good. Would you mind assisting me in a demonstration? Shinzui requested sweetly.  
I'd be happy to, Michiru responded, taking her violin case and joining the teacher at the front of the classroom. Haruka watched the goings-on with mistrust, but remained seated. She was here to apologize for her rude behavior; she was not about to make matters worse. Besides, Michiru didn't seem to feel that anything was wrong, and Haruka had always found her friend's judgement of character to be impeccable.   
Taking out her precious violin tenderly, Michiru cradled it in her arms and turned to face Shinzui. What do you want me to do? she asked.  
Play something, came the gentle response. Something you like.  
Michiru thought for a moment, then lifted the instrument and began to play. It was a sweet, delicate melody that many of the more music-proficient students recognized as a part of _Claire de Lune_, by Debussy. She played lightly and skillfully, and when she had finished the class applauded enthusiastically for the brief performance.  
Shinzui also applauded, but when the clapping faded, she turned to the class. Michiru-san has a lot of skill in her fingers, she stated, as well as an understanding of the music in her heart. But there was something missing. The blind girl faced Michiru. May I?  
Of... of course, Michiru answered, handing Shinzui her violin and bow with a look of curiosity.   
Shinzui took the instrument, and positioned it beneath her chin. She closed her sightless eyes and there was a hush that fell over the class as she began to play the same song that Michiru had just performed. But from the very first note, this performance was different. Michiru closed her own eyes as the melody washed over her, bringing with it some very powerful feelings that seemed to ebb and flow with the sound of the song. Shinzui drew the bow across the violin's strings, coaxing the sound from it as a mother would coax her frightened child from some hiding place. Debussy's music soared from the instrument into the room, swelling and filling it until every single student felt it take hold of their souls, so that it seemed that without the melody they would all forget to breathe, and their hearts would forget to beat. Even Haruka felt it, the power of the deliciously melancholy emotions that entwined themselves inside the melody. She closed her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat as the sweet sadness overwhelmed her. _To make music like this-- so beautiful! Surely I was wrong about Shinzui. No one can make music like that and not be beautiful._  
Shinzui continued to play, drawing out the last few notes, which hung in the air and seemed to shimmer for a few moments before fading away. The class remained quiet as the room returned to silence, and Michiru felt a tear slide down her cheek as she opened her eyes. She noticed most of the others in the room were also misty-eyed, and she stared at Shinzui in wonder as the blind woman lowered the violin.  
the teacher said softly. Tell me, Michiru-san. What was different?  
Michiru swallowed, and cleared her throat before responding. When you played the song, it was like I could... see it, with my ears. I felt the music inside of me.  
Shinzui nodded. What did you feel?  
came the gentle reply. I felt this sadness and lonliness. But it wasn't despairing, though; it was like there was hope there, or contentment. Something that made the emotions bitter-sweet.Michiru's aqua eyes felt as though they were about to spill over again. It made me want to cry-- though out of sadness or happiness, I'm not sure. I think it was a mixture of both. When you played, I could almost feel what Debussy had been feeling when he wrote the piece. I never realized it was so sad.  
At this, Shinzui smiled. Well, that is not entirely correct, Michiru-san. The piece of music that you heard me play was not Debussy's _Claire de Lune_ any longer. It was my _Claire de Lune_... the one that I felt in my heart when I considered the song and how it made me feel. I took a piece of music, written by someone else a hundred years ago, and made it my own. Then, I shared those feelings with all of you by putting them into the violin.  
Shinzui handed the instrument back to Michiru. Now, Michiru-san, she said, I want you to play the song again. I don't want you to think about what the song meant to me, or even what you think it might have meant to Debussy. I want you to look inside yourself and find out what it means to you. Then, I want you to give those feelings to the rest of us.  
Michiru nodded, and accepted her violin again. Taking a deep breath, she considered the piece for a moment in her mind first. Then she smiled, and lifted her instrument. The same song again, but Michiru was a fast learner. The melody took on an entirely different feel as she played it, and Haruka found herself smiling this time as her beloved friend filled the room with a new set of emotions. When the exerpt from the composition was finished, Michiru looked up to find Shinzui smiling, her clouded eyes shining softly.  
That was excellent, Michiru-san. You did indeed make the song your own. Shinzui turned to her class. So tell me, anyone. What did you feel this time?"  
A dance. Haruka's low, rich voice sounded unexpectedly from the left, and Shinzui turned towards it. Michiru's green-blue eyes met Haruka's deep azure ones, as the tomboyish blond watched her friend intently. It was a song of romance, like a waltz with the one you lo  
Other students in the classroom murmured their agreement, and Michiru nodded, her expression mildly surprised. That's true. That has always been what Debussy's song makes me think of. But I've never told Haruka that. So she really did get it from the music. That's... incredible! Her gaze was still locked to that of her friend's, and Haruka, realizing the intensity of the moment, winked at her flirtatiously. That brought Michiru around, and she sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend. It was a rare occasion, after all this time watching Haruka flirt mischievously with other girls, that Michiru could be made to blush when that teasing was turned upon her.  
Shinzui smiled. I, too, felt like I was at a dance. I was informed correctly when they said you were a quick study, Michiru-san. I think I am going to enjoy having you in my class. She then turned to her other students. And that goes for the rest of you as well. Please remember that I can show you where to find the music in your hearts; but it's up to you to have the courage to bring it out. Shinzui smiled. That's all the time we have for today. Since I am only a high-school student, I'm afraid I don't have office hours. There were a few chuckles from her students. Still, if any of you need to speak with me, I work as a volunteer in the evenings at the Banpuku youth center on Eighth Street. I'll be happy to help you then... but you may get recruited into a few games of basketball before you leave. More chuckles. All right then. I'll see all of you again Thursday. Have a nice week.  
Michiru made her way against the flow of student traffic back to where Haruka was waiting for her, and picked up her bag.  
she inquired of her friend as they joined the others who were shuffling towards the door.  
Haruka cocked an eyebrow. she repeated.  
So, how do you feel about her now?  
The tall blond shook her head. I don't know, she responded frankly. I just can't shake this feeling of dislike for her. But when she was playing that song... Her eyes darkened. I don't understand how I could be suspicious of anyone who can make music be felt like that.  
Do you still want to talk to her? Michiru wanted to know.  
Yes, but... Haruka's gaze drifted over the front of the classroom, where Shinzui was nowhere to be seen. I think she's left already. We may have to take her up on her offer and visit her at the youth center.  
Michiru nodded. All right.  
By the way, Haruka added. That was the best I've ever heard you play. You did very well. She touched her friend's shoulder and smiled tenderly at her.  
Michiru glanced at her out of the corner of her eye with a half smile. The compliment is appreciated, Haruka. But it isn't going to work.  
What isn't? Haruka inquired innocently.  
I've known you too long, my friend. You can't fluster me like you do other girls.  
A grin crept across Haruka's face. Guess that means I'll just have to keep trying, huh?  
Michiru shook her head, her teal curls bouncing, and rolled her eyes again. But she accepted Haruka's offered arm anyway, and allowed her friend to escort her out of the university.

"Haruka-chan! Michiru-chan!"   
The two girls turned to see Tsukino Usagi and Chibiusa hailing them from across the street. Haruka smiled to herself.   
"Looks like we're going to have company," she murmured to Michiru under her breath. Her friend nodded slightly, and greeted Usagi and Chibiusa with a smile as the two girls crossed the intersection. She didn't have time to even say hello, however, because both dumpling haired senshi began peppering them with questions before they even reached them.   
"We haven't seen you guys in forever," Chibiusa complained. "Where have you been?"  
"What are you up to? Are you going someplace?" Usagi wanted to know.  
"Can we come?" Chibiusa added enthusiastically, not even waiting for an answer.  
Haruka held up a hand to quiet them. "Hold on, there, _odango atama_. We can only answer one question at a time."  
Michiru smiled at the pink-ponytailed little girl. "We saw you just two days ago, Chibiusa. Don't you remember?"  
Chibiusa stuck out her lower lip. "Well, two days sure feels like forever to me."  
Michiru patted her head affectionately. "We're on our way to the Banpuku youth center to see your piano tutor, Shinzui-san." She winked at Haruka before asking, "Would you like to come with us?"  
Chibiusa's russet eyes widened. "Of course!" she answered. "I've never been there before, but I hear they have a swimming pool, and indoor tennis, and everything. Can we play some games?"  
"I want to come too," Usagi jumped in. "Please?"  
Haruka grinned at her. "Sure," she agreed. "But we have something to take care of with the music teacher first." She and Michiru exchanged a meaningful glance.  
"Hooray!!" Usagi and Chibiusa cheered, both jumping up and down.   
"Bet I get there first!" Chibiusa challenged her future mother, taking off down the street.  
"Oh, no you don't... Hey, that's cheating. Chibiusa, wait for me!" Usagi chased after her, leaving the amused Haruka and Michiru to follow along behind, shaking their heads.

In the deserted field on the outskirts of Tokyo, ominous laughter echoed over the empty plain. The black stone monument that emerged from the dry grass like a blemish was pulsing again with negative power. Above it, the very fabric of space itself seemed to have been ripped open, and the darkness that lurked on the other side of this hole in the air was forbiddingly cold and all-consuming.  
The edges of the tear glistened with a wet, oily substance, and in a few minutes this greasy liquid had collected at the bottommost corner of the jagged hole and dripped down onto the surface of the ornate, rectangular monument. As soon as the drop of black goo made contact with the smooth stone, it began to swell and take shape. The creature that formed was another jaki, as hideous as its predecessors. It owned three long, wicked tails, each one barbed with some very nasty looking spikes at the tip.   
The jaki grinned, exposing its yellowed fangs, and addressed some entity on the other side of the spatial distortion. Where I should go, Lord Narcissus? it hissed.  
The voice that responded would have sent shivers down the back of a wolverine. It does not matter, my jaki. Just find as many of those pitiful humans as you can and drain their blood, until you find the Bearer. The Dagger will be in our hands this time.  
The monster hissed its understanding and made as if to leave, but the bloodchilling voice stopped it. The others before you were unsuccessful because they underestimated the abilities of those loathsome Sailor Scouts. See that you do not repeat their mistake.  
The jaki's eyes glowed green as it made another noise like a spitting cat. Leaping from the top of the seven foot monument, it rolled into a small black ball that struck the ground and bounced, and bounced again, and bounced a third time. Then it soared into the air, making a perfect arc toward the city skyline.

Chibiusa reached the doors of the Banpuku Center a split second before her future mother did, and flung them open. I won! she announced gleefully as she entered the building.  
Oh, no you didn't, Usagi responded, because you cheated and... her voice trailed off as she, too, entered the center and got her first look around. Her eyes widened with delight.  
On the left was a row of windows looking into the swimming pool area. Usagi and Chibiusa could see kids in the pool, playing on the water slide and jumping from the diving boards. Straight ahead there was a hallway, with signs posted directing visitors to the indoor volleyball courts, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Another hallway to the right designated the location of the game room and workout rooms, as well as classrooms where local youth could take music and art lessons. There was a map of the layout of the center hanging on the wall next to them, showing where the outdoor facilities such as the soccer field and private park were. And there was even a library where students could study and get help from volunteer tutors.  
both Chibiusa and Usagi breathed as they gazed around them.  
Haruka and Michiru followed them in a moment later. Michiru went to the information desk right away.   
Can you tell me where we could find Giseino Shinzui? she inquired of the boy behind the counter.  
Shinzui-chan? Sure. Everybody here knows her. The boy grinned from ear to ear and pointed down the right hallway. She's down there, in one of the art classrooms, with her Banpuku friend.  
Her Banpuku friend? What's that? Usagi wanted to know.  
The boy looked over at her in surprise. Banpuku Friends is a mentoring program sponsored by the Banpuku Center. Shinzui-chan is one of the founders of the program, and she's been a part of it for as long as any of us can remember. It's one of the most popular programs we offer here.  
Michiru nodded, and turned back to her friends. Why don't you two go take a look around. Haruka and I will go talk to Shinzui-san, and meet you later.  
I wanna go swimming! Chibiusa demanded, turning to Usagi.  
All right, but then we have to go to the game room and play some of their arcade games. Usagi decided. Chibiusa grinned and seized Usagi's hand. The two girls took off down the hallway ahead of them towards the pool locker rooms.  
Michiru looked at Haruka, who was trying not to grin at their friends' childlike excitement. Are you ready, Haruka? she asked her.  
Haruka instantly became serious.   
The pair headed down the hallway the boy had indicated, following the signs to the art classrooms. They passed two of them, but looking through the window of the third, Michiru saw Shinzui.  
She's here, Haruka.  
The blond tomboy peered through the glass. At the sight of the pretty blind woman, who was absorbed in completing a puzzle with a little redheaded boy, her jaw again clenched involuntarily. Determinedly she ignored it and opened the door.   
Shinzui looked up as the door opened and two people walked through it. Her face lit up. Haruka-san! Michiru-san! I'm glad you came.  
A frown crossed Haruka's brow. How did you know it was us? she asked, then flinched inwardly. Her tone was much harsher than she'd wanted it to be. She felt Michiru's concerned gaze on her, but had no time to respond as Shinzui giggled in that airy, tinkling way.  
It has to be you two. No one else has footsteps like yours. One set light and delicate, as though she were floating. One set firm and aggressive, almost like a man's except it isn't heavy enough. To me, a footstep is as good as a fingerprint.  
Michiru smiled. That's amazing.  
The redheaded boy next to Shinzui looked up from the puzzle piece in his hand. Shinzui-chan is amazing, he interjected proudly. She can do anything.  
Shinzui smiled fondly in the direction of the child's voice. Haruka-san, Michiru-san, this is my young friend Takuma.  
Before either of them could greet him, the child had risen to his feet. With surprise, Haruka noticed the boy's half-closed, unfocused eyes. Takuma was also blind. But it didn't seem to matter to him as he made the customary bow. Nice to meet you, Takuma said. I'll bet you're Shinzui-chan's students, right? Isn't she the best teacher in the world?  
Michiru nodded. She is a very gifted musician, and a good teacher.  
Takuma grinned with satisfaction, and turned back to his mentor. Told you, he exulted proudly. Everybody likes you.  
A touch of a smile curved the blind woman's lips, but she shook her head. Not everyone, she responded sweetly. Haruka again got the strangest feeling that the comment had been directed at her, and she felt uncomfortable. She still couldn't shake the feeling of repulsion that lingered whenever Shinzui was near her.  
Michiru noticed the tension in her friend, and decided that it was the right time to bring up the purpose of their visit. Actually, Shinzui-san, there was something that Haruka wanted to say to you. She looked at her tall partner expectantly.  
For a moment, Haruka's face remained hard, and Michiru wondered if she was going to apologize after all. She looked more like she wanted to walk out. But Michiru knew her friend better than Haruka knew herself, and she just waited patiently for what seemed like a full minute of uncomfortable silence. Finally, Haruka spoke, her voice even lower than usual as she forced the words out from a heart that didn't want to mean them.   
I've... been rude to you. I apologize. Even her apology came out brusque and angry-sounding. _As if she's really going to think that was sincere,_ Haruka thought to herself in frustration.  
But the half-closed eyes flew wide at that statement, so that for the first time they could see her eyes were a pretty soft grey color, unfocused as they were. Shinzui gasped slightly in surprise. Oh... I... She stammered for a moment. I never expected... that is... Then she was able to recover herself. That is quite all right, Haruka-san. Please don't feel badly about it. And... thank you. For apologizing. I know how hard that must have been.  
Haruka frowned slightly at Shinzui's tone. She couldn't possibly really know how much I did not want to say that to her... But she sounded so genuine, I could almost believe that she does understand. She shook her head. The feelings of disgust were still with her, and she could not overcome them, even with her own formidable willpower. But she tried to smile, anyway. You're... welcome.  
Takuma reached out and took Haruka's hand eagerly. Want to help us with the puzzle?  
Michiru looked down curiously. How do the two of you manage to put a puzzle together if... Her question trailed away as she realized that it was rather a rude thing to ask.  
Takuma wasn't offended at all. Like this, he responded exitedly, putting the puzzle piece into a reluctant Haruka's hand. You feel the edges of it, see? And you make a picture of the piece in your mind. Then you feel the other pieces, until you find one that seems like it might fit. And you put the puzzle together. Go on, try it.   
Haruka rubbed the puzzle piece uncertainly. I don't think I can do it that way, she admitted to the child with a bit of a laugh. Then she looked at the piece, and the partially completed puzzle. Finding the right spot she put the piece where it belonged. I'm afraid I have to cheat and use my eyes.  
Takuma grinned at her. It was hard for me, too, at first, he confessed merrily. But Shinzui-chan helped me learn, and I can do it now.  
Shinzui smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. He's a smart kid, she said proudly. He didn't really need much teaching.  
Takuma turned to his mentor and gave her a big hug. I have the best teacher in the whole world, he asserted. Shinzui hugged him back with a hint of a smile.  
Michiru watched the tender moment and she couldn't help smiling too. But all of a sudden, Shinzui's head snapped up, and a look of alarm appeared on her face. Michiru frowned and was about to ask her what was wrong when an instant later the communicator on Haruka's arm went off. Haruka and Michiru looked at each other.  
I'm sorry, we have to go, Michiru said to Shinzui and the boy. We have... some friends we need to see. It was nice talking with you.  
The two senshi sprinted out the door, not waiting for a response. They ran down the hall, Haruka consulting her communicator as they went. _Odango_-- I mean, Sailor Moon. What is it?  
Haruka, Michiru... there's a jaki in the game room, draining the kids! And... it's got Chibiusa! The Sailor Scout's leader sounded close to tears. You have to get over here fast!  
We're on our way, Michiru promised, and Haruka switched the communicator off.  
They pulled out their pens simultaneously. A few moments later, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune arrived at the game room, only to be attacked unexpectedly by three long, spiked tails that knocked them against the wall and left a cut on Sailor Uranus' cheek.  
Damn! Where did that come from! Sailor Uranus growled, rising to her feet.  
Uranus! Neptune! That thing's got Chibiusa! Sailor Moon wailed.  
Sailor Neptune looked up as the creature headed down the hall, and she could see that a terrified Chibiusa was indeed being carried along in the jaki's arms.  
Come on, Sailor Moon. We have to stop it!  
Sailor Moon seemed to snap out of it then, and nodded at Neptune. All three Scouts chased the monster, as it headed for the entrance. Reaching the main lobby just in time, they watched the jaki duck into the next hallway, headed straight for the classrooms. The Scouts pursued it. Suddenly they stopped short as the creature turned around and flashed them a wicked grin. He dropped Chibiusa's lifeless body on the floor, and they could see the fang marks on her arm.  
Sailor Moon cried.  
But there was no time to go to the unconcious child, because the jaki caught a glimpse of another human through the window in the door to the art classroom.   
Human juice! it hissed, and thrashed its spiked tails at the door, which immediately splintered. Ignoring the damage, the monster strode through the opening and headed straight for the redheaded boy that it had spied.  
That's Takuma! Sailor Neptune exclaimed, running into the room. She dodged around the jaki and put herself between the monster and the blind child. You're not getting to him, she told the creature. Deep Submerge!  
The jaki snarled as the power of the watery attack knocked him backwards. Sailor Neptune snatched Takuma in her arms, and dodged as the monster opened his mouth and sent a stream of black energy at them. But, though she got out of the way, the blast of power struck the shiny metal surface of the supplies cabinet behind them and was able to reflect itself back at Neptune and the boy. Sailor Neptune was not able to dodge in time, and the power hit both of them, sending them crashing to the floor, paralyzed with pain.  
Sailor Uranus bellowed, leaping into the room to confront the creature herself. Her eyes blazing with fury, she raised her arm. World Shaking!  
Again, the power of her attack was enough to knock the monster backwards a few steps, but it quickly recovered, and opened its mouth to send another dark bolt at Sailor Uranus.  
The musical voice seemed to fill the whole room, and both Uranus and the jaki froze in their tracks. Sailor Uranus looked towards the door.  
I've just about had it with you, jaki. Attacking children! Don't you know that the laughter of a child is the sweetest music of all? Sailor Orion stood in the doorframe, over the unconcious form of Chibiusa and Sailor Moon, who was bent over her future daughter anxiously. Her silvery eyes glittered dangerously. I am Sailor Orion, and with the melody of Orion I will protect the music of a child's heart from being silenced by a monster like you. From behind her rose the Orion Music Sphere, glowing and humming sweetly. The peach and black clad senshi's gaze flickered down behind her to Sailor Moon's tear-streaked face. But... I think this time I am going to let our Princess do the honors.  
Sailor Moon looked up in surprise, but then she nodded, realizing that Sailor Orion was offering her the chance to avenge the pain inflicted on her future daughter. Her face grew hard as she rose to her feet and pulled out her Moon Spiral Heart Rod. Deliberately she approached the jaki until she could look it in the eyes. Without saying a word, she raised the Rod above her head and began to spin as the Rod powered up. Moon Healing Activation! she cried as the Rod came down to focus its energy towards the three-tailed monster.  
The jaki looked as if it wanted to dodge out of the way, but it was frozen in place by the spectacular power that streamed towards it and enveloped it in cleansing waves. With an angry scream, the jaki seemed to melt, until only a small pool of black, sticky liquid was left. This quickly absorbed into the floor and disappeared.  
With a nod of satisfaction, Sailor Moon turned back to find that Sailor Orion had gone to be with the paralyzed Sailor Neptune and Takuma. Cradling the towheaded child in her lap, Sailor Orion summoned the power of her Sphere.  
Heavenly Symphony, she sang softly, and the glass orb began to glow as it filled the room with its healing, restorative powers. As the melody swelled, the fair-haired Sailor Senshi began to sing with the music:

_All of my life I've felt dullness inside_  
_Like my heart was a simple black hole  
An undecorated,unconsecrated,undemonstrated half-soul  
A blank sheet of paper; A match saved for later  
A water glass only half full  
Days flow with whispers like misty gray shadows  
No peacefulness, no wrong, no right  
Cold verification, No explanation   
Intoxication with night  
The darkness can hide me The drabness will find me  
This dullness I feel is all right_

_But I see you  
And you're glittering, glittering, glittering  
Trillions of stars  
They're all glittering, glittering now  
Red and yellow sparkles; Blue and green explosions  
Everywhere I look the color's bursting all around  
You make me feel   
Like I'm glittering, glittering, glittering  
Deep in my heart  
I feel a glittering, glittering now  
And I am like a diamond; I can catch the sunlight  
Symphonies of glory lift my feet right off the ground_

_Never before have I known such emotion  
You've introduced me to your world  
Exploding sensation, Sweetness, vibration  
Total elation unfurled  
The energies thrill me, The fireworks chill me   
I love watching joyfulness swirl_  
  
_Everyone, look!  
See? I'm glittering, glittering, glittering  
You set me free  
You've got me glittering, glittering now  
I can be a princess; I can be a hero  
Everything I dream of lies just waiting to be found_  
  
_Just come to me  
Watch me glittering, glittering, glittering  
And feel the beat  
You'll start glittering, glittering now  
Love creates the glimmer; Makes the moonlight shimmer  
Come and dance with starlight and we'll turn the world around  
And we're glittering, glittering, glittering..._

As the last strains of music faded away, Sailor Orion greeted the now revived child in her lap with a sweet smile. Takuma's clouded eyes blinked a few times.  
Who are you? he wanted to know.  
A friend, Takuma-chan. My name is Sailor Orion.  
The little boy stretched out his fingers to touch her face, and ran them over her features lightly. His face lit up with recognition. That's not your only name, he grinned at her.  
Sailor Orion smiled back, but took his finger and put it to his lips. Shhh. That has to be our secret, she admonished gently.  
Takuma nodded in response, but his grin got even wider. Told you you were special, didn't I? He rose to his feet. I'd better get home. My mom will worry. Picking up his small white cane near the door, he left the room, confidently tap-tapping his way to the exit.  
Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon turned to see the little pink haired girl standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. You are supposed to be looking out for me! I could have been killed by that thing, and then my mommy would have been mad at you!  
Chibiusa's frown turned into a look of surprise as Sailor Moon rushed over to her and picked her up in her arms, holding her close. She buried her face in the pink cloud of her future child's hair. Oh, Chibiusa-chan, I'm so sorry. Are you all right?"  
Well... yeah, the child responded. But she couldn't resist adding, No thanks to you.  
You mustn't say that, Small One. Sailor Moon and Chibiusa both looked up to see Sailor Orion gazing at them. The willowy soldier's eyes went from one to the other. I know the Princess. She would give her life to protect those she loves. Princess Serenity may not be your mother yet, and she may not yet possess all the qualities that you expect from her; but her soul is the same, and she loves you just as much as your mother in the future does.  
Chibiusa looked up at Sailor Moon's face, and for the first time noticed the tearstains on her cheeks and the brightness of her eyes. Her own then filled with tears. I'm sorry, Usagi, she whispered, and hugged her.  
Sailor Orion smiled at them. Respect each other. Love each other. You're family. Her eyes suddenly got very sad. Please don't take that for granted. Without another word, the tall Sailor Scout pressed the peach stone on her bracelet and shimmered into thin air.  
Usagi's form shimmered as she detransformed, still embracing Chibiusa. Then she set the little girl down and offered her her hand. Come on, Chibiusa. Let's go home.  
Haruka and Michiru detransformed in the empty classroom , then looked at each other and smiled.   
Think it will last? Michiru wondered as they watched their friends leave.  
Haruka shook her head. Not this time. A grin spread over her face, which had been healed so not even a trace of the cut she had recieved from the jaki's tails. But... someday... it will.  
The girls smiled at each other again, then Michiru took Haruka's arm and they left the youth center, heading for home.

[Back to Part Two][1][  
On to Part Four][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic2.htm
   [2]: fanfic4.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	4. Usagi's love in peril! Mamoru and the bl...

Part Four: Usagi's love in peril! Mamoru and the blind teacher

"Hello, Mamoru-san. How is the studying going?"  
Chiba Mamoru looked up as the pretty, vacant-eyed girl sat down next to him on the university park bench, her ever present golden retriever at her side. He shook his head and grinned at her. "How do you do that, Shinzui-san? You always manage to slip up on me without my noticing."  
Shinzui smiled back, her hand absently stroking her guide dog's silky fur. "It's not that difficult when you're always so absorbed in your work."  
Mamoru looked down at the book in his lap and sighed. "I like learning but it is so much work. These university classes are much more difficult than the ones in high school." He paused for a moment. "I feel badly, because Usako--" Then he smiled a bit wistfully. "But I'm not going to bother you with that, Shinzui-san."  
The lovely blind girl shook her head. "I don't mind, Mamoru-san. Tell me."  
Mamoru glanced at her in slight surprise, but her expression was so earnest he could not refuse her. "Well, it's just that I am so busy studying I rarely ever have time to spend with my girlfriend."  
Shinzui smiled mysteriously. "You're dating Tsukino Usagi, right?" At Mamoru's nod, her smile widened. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Mamoru-san. From the looks of things, she needs a bit more studying time herself."  
Mamoru grinned back. "Well, Usako never was one for studying, but" his eyes took on a faraway cast. "She has such a good heart."  
"You really love her." This was a statement, not a question.  
"She is my life. I'm going to marry her someday" Suddenly Mamoru looked up, and blushed. "Did I say that out loud?" He shook his head at Shinzui's gentle nod. "I don't know why that came out that way I never tell people that." He looked with curiosity at the fair-haired girl next to him. "It's strange, Shinzui-san. I know we only met a few weeks ago, but I feel like I've known you my whole life."  
The mysterious smile reappeared. "Oh, much longer than that, Mamoru. Much longer." Shinzui reached out and touched his face affectionately, and for a moment, Mamoru felt a flash of something familiar. Before he had the chance to puzzle over it, though, Shinzui had risen to her feet. "I have to go. Today is Tsukino Chibiusa's piano lesson."  
Mamoru closed the book on his lap and stood up. "Would you like a ride?" he asked, indicating his motorcycle parked a few feet away. Then he blushed again at the motion, realizing that the young blind woman would not be able to see where he was pointing. "I   
brought my motorcycle," he amended.  
Shinzui giggled in her sweet, tinkling way. "That's very kind of you, Mamoru-san, but I don't think Centauri cares for motorcycles."  
Mamoru blushed again as he realized that he had forgotten all about Shinzui's guide dog. "Oh, well would you mind if I walked with you then? I've had about enough studying for today, and I think I'd like to pay Usagi a visit." Then he grinned. "Besides, maybe I can get her out of your hair this time. I heard about what happened at the last lesson."  
Shinzui giggled again. "The girls aren't that bad, really. They're just so much alike But all the same, it might be better for Chibiusa's learning experience if you did whisk Usagi away for a while."  
The tall young woman accepted Mamoru's arm, and he marveled again at her height. She was as tall as he was! And yet there was an aura of fragility about her too, like if the wind blew too strongly it might sweep her off her feet. At her light, delicate touch he again felt that strange familiar feeling wash over him. He was so certain he knew her from somewhere. The Silver Millenium, maybe? He wondered as they began to walk towards Usagi's house.  
About a hundred feet away, a pair of bright blue eyes watched from the bushes as the pretty blind woman and the handsome young man walked away, arm in arm. The eyes narrowed. They had seen the way Shinzui had reached out to touch the young man's face, and they didn't like it. Not one little bit. Creeping from tree to bush, the owner of the pair of eyes followed the progress of the tall couple down the street.

"The time has come." The terrifyingly hideous voice emanated, disembodied, from the darkness beyond the edges of the tear in space. The black monument beneath seemed to shudder at the sound of it.  
"The first of the _jaki_ sent to retrieve the Dagger have failed in their task. This time, I shall face those bothersome Sailor Scouts myself and get rid of them all permanently. The Sailor brats are not going to stop us like they have in the past. When the Gate has been fully opened, the Negaforce will finally be freed, and we can again conquer the Posiverse, once and for all!" The laughter that echoed over the empty plains was chilling in its evil. "Come, my _jaki_. Find those meddlesome Scouts for me. I will destroy them myself!"  
A drop of the black liquid fell from the aperture, striking the smooth, cold stone of the monument and hissing on the surface. It began to swell, rising up and swirling around, assuming a form that was semi-human, but grotesquely deformed. Its skin glistened, black and oily, and two fierce yellow eyes opened, sparking evilly. The creature had three mouths, each lined with hundreds of tiny, pointed, wickedly sharp little teeth. All three mouths grinned cruelly as the monster addressed its master, somewhere on the other side of the hole.  
"Lord Narcissus. I find human juice." All three sets of lips moved at once, so that it sounded as though there were a whole group of the creatures instead of just one.  
"Yes, my _jaki_. Drain the humans. Drain as many as you can; it doesn't matter where you choose to go. Those bratty Sailor Senshi are sure to show up to save their precious, pitiful human friends; and then I'll take over and it will be too late for them." Laughter again.   
The _jaki_ nodded, and its yellow eyes lit up at the thought. "I go now." It leapt from the top of the monument where it was standing, and landed in the tall grass below. Rolling into a ball, the creature rocked back and forth for a moment before bouncing into the air. It repeated the bounce twice more, and on the third it flew into the sky, flying in that familiar arc towards Tokyo.  
The fields were silent again for a moment, and then once again shuddered with the sound of the evil laughter. Lord Narcissus' turn had come.

"Shinzui-san! Mamo-chan!" Chibiusa's delighted squeals greeted them almost before they had reached the gate. The little girl came tearing out of the house towards them, leaping into Mamoru's arms. He chuckled at his future daughter.  
"Glad to see us, huh?" he questioned with a twinkle in his eye.  
The pink ponytailed child grinned and hugged him, then turned to Shinzui. "We get to have our lesson today, right, Shinzui-san?"  
Shinzui smiled sweetly at her. "That's right, Chibiusa," she responded, her unfocused gaze making it look as though she were addressing the grass at her feet. "I've brought some simple music for you, and a notebook. From now on, I'll assign you a couple of songs a week to work on. You must practice for a half an hour each day, so that you learn them."  
Chibiusa wrinkled her nose. "That sounds like homework to me. I hate homework."  
Mamoru tickled the little girl's chin, making her giggle. "Come now, Chibiusa. You wanted to learn to play the piano, right? How else can you learn if you don't practice?"  
"Mamoru-san is right, Chibiusa. But don't worry practicing music isn't really like homework. It's too much fun." Shinzui told her.   
"All right," the child conceded. "Can we start right now?"  
"Sure," her music teacher answered, smiling. "But first, where is Usagi-san? Mamoru-san came especially to see her."  
"Aw, I thought you wanted to watch me learn piano," Chibiusa pouted, sticking out her lower lip.  
Mamoru nodded. "I'd like that, Chibiusa. But that means that Usagi will want to watch too"  
At this, the little girl's russet eyes widened in understanding. "Take her, Mamo-chan. Take her far away and don't let her come back for at least an hour. Or two."  
Mamoru grinned at her. "Well, I would, but first you have to tell me where she is."  
"Oh." Chibiusa shook her head. "I forgot. She's not here. She went to Rei's for a study group after school."  
The handsome young man's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Usagi went to a study group? Of her own free will?"  
"Not exactly." The little girl's eyes twinkled mischievously. "It took a little persuasion from Makoto and Ami, and Luna said if she didn't go she'd rip up Usagi's new fashion magazine. So Usagi went."  
Mamoru put his hand behind his head in a gesture of slight embarassment. "That's Usagi, all right," he conceded with a laugh. "Well, I guess if she isn't here, I will watch you practice for a while, Chibiusa."  
The little girl wriggled with delight and practially dragged Mamoru and Shinzui inside the house. Outside, a figure darted into the bushes in front of the window in the front room, and the same pair of eyes popped up over the windowsill to peer into the room where Chibiusa had led her teacher and Mamoru. Those eyes watched jealously as Mamoru took Shinzui's elbow, and gently led her to the piano bench where she could sit down. A look of gratitude passed between them, and the pair of eyes narrowed with displeasure.  
"Usagi-chan!" Luna's stern voice caused the peeping tom to jump in surprise.   
"Luna!" Usagi hissed, trying to whisper. "Not so loud. They'll hear you!"  
Luna ignored her young mistress' admonishment. "Usagi, you're suppposed to be at the study meeting. Just what do you think you are doing?"  
"Ami wasn't feeling well today, so she went home from the study group early. And we can't really stay focused without her, so we decided to take the rest of the day off!"  
Luna rolled her eyes. "We decided? You mean YOU decided."  
Usagi blushed guiltily. "Well, all right then, I decided. I've been studying every day this week. I'm going to go crazy!" Then she remembered that she was suppposed to be being inconspicuous, and she began whispering again. "Anyway, I went to the university to surprise Mamo-chan after his class, and you know what I saw? He was sitting with Shinzui-san, and the two of them were getting really close!" Fire lit her eyes, and she again forgot to whisper. "Mamo-chan is mine! I won't let anyone else have him! Not even her!"  
Luna raised one eyebrow. "And exactly why, Usagi-chan, are you spying on him instead of talking to him about it?"  
Again Usagi blushed a little. "Well, there have been other times, you know, when I thought maybe" she played with her fingers. "Mamo-chan has always been embarassed when I accuse him of thinking about other girls, especially in public. So I decided to be discrete this time, until I'm sure."  
Luna shook her head. "And you call sneaking around in the bushes and following them through the streets 'discrete'?" she wanted to know in disbelief. "Really, Usagi-chan. You must learn not to be so suspicious. Don't you trust Mamoru?"  
"Of course I do," Usagi retorted vehemently. "But I don't trust other girls with Mamoru." She snuck another peek into the living room, where Mamoru was bent over Shinzui at the piano, watching intently as Shinzui explained something to Chibiusa.   
"Usagi-chan. Shinzui knows that you and Mamoru are a couple. She doesn't seem like the kind of girl to go around breaking up the relationships of others." Luna also took a glance into the room, where the patient teacher was holding Chibiusa's hands over the keyboard, demonstrating a technique. A strand of fair hair fell from her neat bun across her face, but Shinzui didn't seem to notice as it couldn't get in the way of her nonexistent vision anyway. Luna again shook her head. "She seems so sweet."  
Usagi's eyes narrowed. "Of course she seems sweet. Mamoru couldn't be enticed away from me by a nasty girl." She turned back to the window again. "But Shinzui-san is mature. And graceful. And pretty. She's so much more grown up than I am, and" Usagi's eyes filled with tears. "What if Mamo-chan decides he wants to be with someone more sophisticated? What will happen to me?"   
Usagi looked dangerously close to bursting into hysterics, so Luna did the only thing she could think of to distract her. She answered the question in a very unLuna-like way. "You'll fight for him, of course."  
The teary eyed girl looked at her cat with surprise at the unexpected answer. "Fight for him" she repeated slowly. "Of course! That's it! I'll fight for him!!" Her face filled with new resolve, Usagi rose to her feet. "You just watch, Luna. I'm going to turn myself into the most mature, sophisticated woman Mamo-chan has ever seen! There's no way Shinzui-san will ever be able to tempt him away from" Usagi made an exaggerated awkward curtsy that Luna assumed was meant to be graceful. "Serenity, the Princess of the Moon! I will fight to right myself and triumph over Mamo-chan's heart!"   
With these words, Usagi stepped from the bushes with determination on her face. "Luna, let's go shopping!"  
Luna's eyes closed, and she shook her head. "Usagi, if you want to be more mature, why not start with studying?" she offered wearily.   
"That comes later," Usagi declared. "Right now, I have to look more mature. Then, I'm going to learn to study, and to cook, and play the piano, and be a perfect hostess, and make tea, and" her words continued to trail off as she headed down the street for the bus stop.

"Usagi-chan! Is that you?" Makoto's jaw dropped at the sight of her friend. "You look different."  
Usagi nodded, restraining her excitement. A lady remains serene, she reminded herself, stepping into Makoto's immaculate apartment. "Yes, Makoto. I had hoped you might notice." Usagi was using her very best Princess Serenity voice. "I have decided. I am tired of being clumsy and irresponsible. What you see before you now is the new me."  
"Usagi-chan" Makoto was unable to come up with a response as she looked at her. Usagi had purchased a new dress, not one of the trendy, frilly things she usually picked out, but a very sweet, simple white dress with pearl buttons marching neatly down the front and a soft, ankle-length flowing skirt. Her long ponytails had been taken down, and instead of their usual 'dumpling' arrangment they had been smoothed into a single, ornately braided bun at the base of Usagi's neck. Sophisticated pearl drop earrings and a pair of white, high-heeled sandals completed the look. She didn't even really look like the same person; the heels even made her look taller than the tiny Sailor leader usually was.   
"Please, Makoto. From now on I would like to be called Serenity. 'Usagi' is, after all, a rather childish nickname, don't you think?"  
Makoto had no response. She stared at her friend without a word, and Usagi giggled lightly. "Come now, Makoto. Don't just stand there with your mouth open. Say something. How do you like it?"  
Makoto shook her head. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "You look beautiful, Usag- I mean, Serenity. But it just doesn't seem like you at all." Makoto looked down at Usagi's feet. "You're wearing heels! You've never been able to wear heels without falling flat on your face."  
"Well, I haven't fallen yet," Usagi responded modestly in her Princess voice. "I never realized it before, but it's so much easier to walk in heels when you take smaller steps, and when you're paying attention to where you're going. I never cared about those things before, but now" she turned around in a circle gracefully. " now I have decided that the way I walk is important too. And from now on, I'm going to study just as hard as Ami does. I'm going to ask Rei to teach me to be more graceful maybe I'll take one of those martial arts classes her grandfather teaches. And I'm going to have Minako help me get into better shape exercising and making sure I'm eating well. No more junk food or binging." Then Usagi turned to Makoto. "But first, I want you to teach me about cooking and keeping a neat house. You're the best homemaker there is."  
Makoto was still staring at her. "Usagi I mean, Serenity how are you I mean" she took a deep breath and shook her head. "Why are you doing this?"  
"Because I no longer wish to be"  
"And drop the 'princess' tone with me, all right? I know you too well. I don't believe that 'I'm tired of who I am' bit for a minute. What's going on?" Makoto's piercing green eyes penetrated Usagi's façade, and for a moment, she dropped the charade.  
"Makoto," Usagi sighed, walking over to the couch and remembering to take small steps. "I want to be this person. This person that you see. I want to be more mature, and graceful, and sophisticated."  
"But why?" Makoto asked, sinking down onto the couch next to her petite friend. "It's true that sometimes your clumsiness and flightiness is irritating, but we all love you, Usagi-chan."  
Usagi's eyes shone with tears as she looked up at the brunette. "I know and I love you too. But .Mamo-chan"  
"So that's what this is about." Makoto's lips curved into a smile. "Usagi, let me remind you of something. Mamoru has loved you over at least two lifetimes. The two of you have a destiny together; in the past, in the present, and even in the future. Mamoru loves you just the way you are. You don't have to change anything to get him to love you more."  
Usagi shook her head. "I guess in my heart I know that, Mako-chan. But" her eyes spilled over, and Makoto knew then that this was not just another of Usagi's whims. Usagi never cried quietly unless the tears came from her soul. "Mako-chan, I'm scared. I lost him once already, in the Silver Millenium. I lost him again when Queen Beryl took him from me, and again when she killed him for not destroying me. And each time, I wanted to die myself." She looked into her friend's green eyes, full of compassion. "If I ever lost him again, even if it was to Shinzui"  
"Whoa, whoa. Hold on there. Are you talking about Chibiusa's new piano teacher?" Makoto wanted to know.  
Usagi nodded, and sniffled a little. "I saw her in the university park with Mamo-chan. She she likes him. I know it." She turned to Makoto. "She's blind, you know." Makoto nodded, and Usagi continued. "But she still does so much she teaches music, and works with children down at the youth center, and can play any instrument there is, and Michiru says she's an incredible musician who can make music you can feel. She's so perfect. And she's perfect in spite of her handicap. I just know that Mamo-chan admires her for that. Mako-chan, what if she takes him from me?"  
Makoto pulled the weeping girl close, and wiped away her tears. "I don't think that could ever happen, Usagi-chan." Then she tilted Usagi's face up to look at her. "But if it did, would it help you to know that I would beat both of them into a bloody pulp for making you cry?"  
At this, Usagi had to laugh in spite of herself. Seeing the wickedly amused gleam in Makoto's eye only made her laugh harder. She could just picture Sailor Jupiter blasting into the university park, confronting Mamoru and Shinzui and chasing Mamoru around the grass with her lighting bolts toasting his rear end. She laughed again, and Makoto began to laugh too.  
Makoto squeezed her friend's shoulders. "You know that I love you exactly the way you are," she told Usagi. "If you want to make an effort to be more mature, I think that's wonderful, and I will support you all the way. Just be sure you're doing it for the right reasons, Usagi-chan. Do it for yourself, not for anyone else."  
Usagi nodded, and Makoto handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes. Usagi did so, then proceeded to blow her nose with a very undignified honk that set both girls laughing again.   
"Well, Usagi-chan, since you did come here for a cooking lesson, how about I teach you to make some really good cakes and homemade ice cream?" Makoto offered with a twinkle in her eye, knowing that these were two of Usagi's favorites. As she expected, Usagi's eyes lit up. Makoto then pretended to reconsider. "But then, you did say no more junk food"  
Usagi's blue eyes flew wide. "Oh, no I I'll still eat sweets. Just not as much. Maybe."  
Makoto had to grin at her petite friend's concession. "All right then. How about a carrot cake?" she asked, rising from   
the couch.   
Usagi scowled. "Mako-chan. You know I hate carrots."  
Makoto winked at her. "You'll like this. I promise." She headed for the kitchen. "Come on. We'll get you an apron so we don't spill anything on that pretty dress." She turned back to Usagi. "Which reminds me-you really do look beautiful in that outfit, Usagi-chan. You should wear your hair like that more often. It looks lovely." Then she grinned. "But I'd miss the 'dumplings'. They're just you."  
Usagi grinned back, feeling much better. "I am going to learn to cook and study and be graceful, Mako-chan. But I'm not going to give up on being me, completely, either."  
Makoto nodded and put her arm around the smaller girl's shoulders as they entered the kitchen. "That's right, Usagi-chan. You should never give up on being you."

Usagi grabbed Makoto's arm and hauled her behind the nearest tree. "Look there they are," she hissed. Makoto looked in the direction of Usagi's pointing finger.  
Mamoru was escorting Shinzui and Centauri up the walk towards the university doors. The two had linked arms, and as they watched, Shinzui tipped her head back to laugh sweetly at something Mamoru had said. Makoto had to admit that for two people who had only met a few weeks ago, they did appear awfully chummy. Her green eyes narrowed a bit, and one of her hands inadvertently balled into a fist. Usagi may not have realized it, but Makoto had only been half joking when she had talked about beating up anyone who made her cry. If Mamoru really did hurt Usagi that way-Makoto shook her head. He would never do that to her. _I'm getting as suspicious as Usagi_, she thought wryly. Turning to her friend, she said, "Well? I thought we were going to do this."  
Usagi shrank back against her. "Ummm I don't know. Maybe this isn't such a great idea, Mako-chan. I mean, what if I mess everything up? He might go running back to Shinzui and never come back."  
Makoto snorted derisively. "Not likely, Usagi-chan. I've never seen a man more in love with anyone than Mamoru is with you." She turned to look at the tall couple about to enter the university. "Besides, you've been looking forward to this for the last week. Come on. It's now or never, Usagi-chan. Let's go!" Makoto grabbed Usagi's hand and pulled her towards the university doors.  
Usagi had no choice but to go, unless she wanted to end up flat on her face. She was wearing the same outfit she had worn to Makoto's apartment a week ago, including the heeled sandals, and so she was having enough difficulty concentrating on making her feet stay under her. She forgot for the moment to worry about Shinzui and Mamoru.   
The two girls burst through the doors of the university, and Makoto spied Mamoru and Shinzui disappearing down the hall. "Come on, Usagi-chan," she urged her friend, and they raced down the hall in pursuit.  
"Mamoru! Shinzui-san!" Makoto called as they got nearer. The two turned around to see who was there.  
Usagi was finally able to slow to a walk, and she was suddenly grateful for the rigorous fitness routine Minako had put her through every day this week. She was not nearly as winded as she would have been a week ago, and it only took her a couple of seconds to regain her breath. She looked up just in time to note with satisfaction the amazed look on Mamoru's face when he saw her.  
"Usako!" Mamoru dropped Shinzui's arm immediately and approached her, looking at his beloved like he'd never seen her before. "You look wow." His gaze scanned her new outfit, and the new hairstyle. "Wow." He reached out hesitantly to touch her shining hair, so different from its usual 'dumpling' arrangement, and then drew his hand back uncertainly. "Your hair it's so" He couldn't seem to find the right word. "Wow," he repeated numbly.   
Usagi blushed, and giggled a little. "You like it?"  
Mamoru found his tongue again. "You're beautiful," he responded. He could not resist taking her in his arms, and kissing her. (But only on the cheek; they were, after all, in public.) Then he pulled back and looked at her again, shaking his head in amazement. "What did you do?"  
Usagi smiled flirtatiously. "I went shopping."  
Mamoru smiled back. "I never knew shopping could do this." This time he really did touch the silky braid pinned to the base of her neck.  
Shinzui came up quietly behind Makoto, so as not to disturb the couple, who were quite obviously absorbed in one another. "What's this?" she asked softly, with a hint of a smile.  
Makoto turned back to her. "Usagi was afraid that you might be in love with Mamoru," she answered with a grin. "So she gave herself a little makeover. She didn't want you to take him away."  
Shinzui's eyebrows lifted. "In love with Mamoru?" She giggled a little. "Not remotely." Then something occurred to her, and her face suddenly looked very sad. Makoto recognized the expression all too well.  
"But there is someone, isn't there?" Makoto asked with a knowing smile.  
Shinzui appeared surprised, but she smiled wistfully. "Yes." For a moment Makoto thought she was going to say something else, but Shinzui seemed to think better of it, and she stopped.  
Makoto patted the taller girl's shoulder. "I've been there," she said comfortingly. "It's never easy, I know. Especially when he doesn't feel the same way." Shinzui nodded, and her smile took on a mysterious irony, but she did not answer. "I'm Kino Makoto, by the way."  
Shinzui smiled. "Yes, Mamoru-san has told me much about Usagi and her friends. I'm Giseino Shinzui, and it is very nice to meet you, Kino-san."  
Makoto almost snickered at the formality of the address, but something about Shinzui's sincerity kept her from it. Instead, she simply responded, "Oh, please, call me Makoto."  
Shinzui inclined her head in agreement. "And you must call me Shinzui."  
"All right. It's great to meet you too." Then Makoto turned back to Usagi and Mamoru, just in time to hear Usagi ask the question she'd been waiting all week to ask.  
"Mamo-chan, would you have dinner with me tonight?"  
Mamoru's eyebrows lifted. "I'd like that, Usagi. Where do you want to go?"  
Usagi blushed again. "To my house. I I want to cook for you."  
An odd expression which Mamoru did his best to stifle crept across his handsome features. "Are you sure, Usako? I mean, we could go out"   
Makoto, who was standing behind where Usagi couldn't see her, caught Mamoru's gaze and gave him a warning shake of the head, indicating that he shouldn't turn her down. Mamoru's eyes flicked back to Usagi's face, so very eager to please.  
"It's all right, Mamo-chan, really. I've been practicing. Please?" The expression on her face was so beguiling that he could not refuse.  
Mamoru smiled. "All right then, Usako. Your house it is."  
Momentarily forgetting her goal of dignity, Usagi did a little dance for joy. Makoto couldn't help the grin that spread across her face, and as soon as her friend turned around, she gave her a thumbs-up. Usagi returned the gesture gleefully.  
Suddenly Shinzui's head snapped up in alarm, and Centauri, sensing the disturbance in his mistress, also stiffened. "I'm sorry," she said to the others. "But I'm late for class. I have to run. I'll see all of you later!" With that, she turned quickly and rounded the corner of the hallway, out of sight.  
"That was weird," Makoto commented, watching her go. Just then, a scream sounded from the front lawn, and all three rushed to the window.  
"Oh, great," Makoto moaned, as the _jaki_ dropped its helpless, comatose victim and went after another. "Don't those guys have great timing?" Her eyes met those of the other two, and they nodded at each other.   
Mamoru reached into the jacket of his school uniform, and pulled out a rose. Usagi's hand went to the brooch on her blouse, and Makoto's transformation pen was already in her hand. A second later, all three burst out onto the lawn to confront the evil spirit.  
"Hey, you! Stop right there!" The _jaki_ looked up from the young woman it had seized and hissed contemptuously, his three sets of lips sneering simultaneously. Sailor Moon took up her customary stance. "A university is a place where people can learn, and mature, and prepare for the rest of their lives. I won't forgive you for trying to hurt the students who have big dreams. I'm an agent of love and justice, a pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor Moon. In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"  
Sailor Jupiter stepped up right behind her leader. "I'm Sailor Jupiter, and in the name of Jupiter, I'll punish you!" The two Scouts stared defiantly at the gleaming black monster. Tuxedo Mask stood next to them, his black cape billowing out behind him like a great big pair of wings.  
The _jaki_ did not seem terribly impressed. It hissed again, and opened all three of its mouths. The Scouts and Tuxedo Mask were forced to separate as three separate bolts of crackling dark energy came hurtling towards them.  
"Ow ow ow!" Sailor Moon wailed unhappily as she landed hard on her knees and the burst of energy went hissing past her, crashing harmlessly into a nearby tree. Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask were more fortunate, both managing to land on their feet.  
"That does it!" Sailor Jupiter bellowed, rising to her feet. "Sparkling wide pressure!" She flung a powerful expanse of electrifying energy towards the creature's back. The power struck it full force, causing it to stagger forward a step, but that was the only effect. The evil thing spun around in fury, and sent another blast of black lightning towards Sailor Jupiter that she had to dodge.  
"Hey you! Ugly!"  
The creature turned to see Sailor Venus standing in a defensive position, legs apart, golden hair flying. Behind her stood Sailors Mars and Mercury, and next to them was Sailor ChibiMoon. "Sailor Venus! Everybody!" Sailor Moon sighed in relief.  
Sailor Venus scowled at the monster. Then she turned to her friends. "Come on, girls. Let's teach this walking oil spill a lesson in manners." She raised her arms. "Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"  
"Burning Mandala!"  
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"  
The four different sparkling powers combined themselves into one great flying disc, shaped like a heart. This shimmering attack soared through the air towards the _jaki_, and struck the thing right between the eyes. This time the creature was actually knocked down by the Scout's power, but it rose to its feet again and sent three more bursts of dark energy into the middle of them, forcing them to scatter as well.  
"Deep Submerge!" A wall of turquoise water came down upon the _jaki_, immediately followed by a yellow, planet shaped concentration of positive power that shook the ground as it came.  
"World Shaking!"  
"Uranus! Neptune! You're here!" Sailor Moon cried in delight. The two bigger girls smiled as they stood, back to back, facing the ugly monster.  
"Now, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Jupiter prodded, and Sailor Moon nodded, pulling out her Spiral Heart Moon Rod.  
"Moon Healing Escalation!" she cried, swinging the pink and red rod around in a circle. The Silver Crystal at her throat hummed with glimmering power as the purifying beam shot towards the _jaki_ and fell, harmless, to the ground at his feet. All the Sailor Soldiers gasped.  
The creature began to laugh. Not the hissing, catlike noise of the _jaki_, but a deeper, more sinister sound. The hairs on the back of Sailor Uranus' neck stood straight up. _I've heard that laugh before,_ she thought grimly, and summoned her talisman sword from within herself. _Well, this should be fun_. She looked over at Sailor Neptune, who was gripping her mirror. The two nodded at each other, prepared to defend the others from whatever new threat this turned out to be.  
The Scouts watched in horrified fascination as the evil spirit's form began to shift, and take on color? A crop of wavy lavender hair appeared, falling casually into a pair of large violet eyes fringed with lavender lashes and brows. A face, with features that were almost too pretty to be masculine, developed from the _jaki_'s hideous visage, and the humped-over, crooked body straightened and grew taller, until a well-chiseled chest and muscular arms and legs had formed. This new figure was wearing a pale purple cape, with a loose fitting lavender shirt that hung open to the waist, exposing gleaming pectoral muscles, and a pair of rather tight deep purple pants that tucked into tall black boots. An eyepatch, complete with amythysts encrusted into the black satin, shimmered into place over the left eye.  
Sailor Mars cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, look," she commented to Sailor Venus, just loud enough for the rest of them to hear, "it's a purple pirate. How scary."  
"He is kind of gorgeous, though, isn't he?" Venus whispered back.  
The newcomer turned towards Mars and made a deep, sweeping bow. "Lord Narcissus, admiral of the Avatar's armada, at your service, ma'am." His voice was so cold it actually made Sailor Mars shiver, and she could hear the scorn and sarcasm dripping from his tone. Lord Narcissus looked up at her then, trapping her own deep amythyst eyes with his frozen violet ones, and grinned cruelly. "I hear you Sailor brats have been making trouble for my _jaki_. I'm here to remedy the problem."  
"What do you want?" Sailor Moon demanded, taking a step towards Narcissus. "Why are your evil creatures taking human blood?"  
A lavender eyebrow raised. "So you don't know. I suppose I'm not surprised."  
"Answer the question!" This demand came from Sailor Jupiter, who took a threatening stance.   
An amused smile crept across Lord Narcissus' handsome face. "You want to know? Ask your new friend, Sailor Orion." Then he looked around them. "Which reminds me. I've been looking forward to meeting little Miss Orion. Where is she?"  
"Right here, Narcissus." The tinkling voice rang out from above them, where Sailor Orion sat perched on the university's huge title board. All the Scouts and Lord Narcissus looked up at her as she slid off the edge and somersaulted gracefully to the ground, making a fall of about twenty feet look like stepping off a street curb.  
Sailor Orion landed right in front of Narcissus, and he looked her up and down rakishly. "So you're the little girl who has been causing the Avatar such annoyance," he concluded haughtily. "You sure don't look like much to me."  
Orion took a step towards Narcissus and looked down at him pointedly. Being a short villain, the top of his head was almost a foot below her gaze. "Did the Avatar tell you what this "little girl" did to the last general he sent after me?"  
Lord Narcissus stared back at her, unflinching. "I don't know and I don't care. I'm not afraid of you."  
A smirk crossed the peach Sailor Scout's face. "But it's such an interesting story. Would you like me to demonstrate it for you?"  
Narcissus took a step back, his expression as proud as ever. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I really don't have the time. So many humans, so little time, you know. I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you now." He raised his hand, and a sparkling ball of lavender colored energy swirled around his fist, then launched itself at Sailor Orion. For a moment, everything disappeared in the glow of the negative energy, but when the brightness cleared, Sailor Orion was nowhere to be seen.  
"Well, that wasn't so hard," Lord Narcissus gloated.  
"Guess again."  
Narcissus spun around, cape flying, to see Sailor Orion standing right behind him with crossed arms. "You're going to have to do a whole lot better than that, Captain Hook, if you want to get rid of me. I don't die that easily."  
Lord Narcissus'eyes narrowed. "Fine," he responded, and sent another ball of crackling purple fire at her. He missed again, but the negative power headed straight for Sailor Moon.  
"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed, throwing himself at her and rolling out of the way with her just as the attack passed them.  
"Wrong again, Narcissus." The purple-clad admiral swung around to face Sailor Orion, who had once again maneuvered herself behind him. Sailor Orion clucked her tongue sympathetically. "My, my. Why can't the Avatar ever send someone competent after me? At least it would keep things interesting." Her silver gaze flickered over to where Tuxedo Mask was helping Sailor Moon to stand. "But I'm afraid I just can't have you randomly attacking my friends, Bluebeard." With this statement, a now-familiar humming sound filled the air as the Orion Sphere rose from behind the tall senshi. Glowing softly, it floated up next to Sailor Orion.  
Narcissus took one look at the shining glass orb and snickered. "Oh, please. I'm supposed to be afraid of that?"  
Sailor Orion cocked an eyebrow. "No," she answered, her voice as musical and sweet as ever. "You're going to be afraid of this." She held up her braceleted arm, and sang brightly: "Heavenly Symphony!" Suddenly the air was filled with the Orion Sphere's melody, and as it rang through the university's front lawn, the _jaki_'s victims began to revive.  
"Ugh. What is that?!!" Lord Narcissus groaned, covering his ears with his hands.  
Sailor Orion's face literally shone with delight. "This," she crowed, spinning around with her arms flung wide, "is the melody of Orion. This is life. This is light. This is purity and love. This, my dear Narcissus, is what you are going to learn to fear."  
The purple pirate moaned again, clutching his head. "I'm coming back, Sailor brat," he threatened between gasps, doing his best to block out the song from his ears. "I'm going to get all of you. The Avatar will triumph this time around!"  
Sailor Orion cocked an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. "He says that every time. So far he's never been right."  
Lord Narcissus growled at her, but had no more strength for a reply. His form shivered and darkened as he left the _jaki_'s body, and the creature returned to its normal, ugly state.  
The silver-eyed Sailor senshi turned to Sailor Moon. "Care to take this one?" she offered.  
Sailor Moon nodded, and again raised her Spiral Heart Rod. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she exclaimed. And this time, the healing beam did its job beautifully, reducing the monster to an oily puddle in the grass. This soon absorbed away.  
Sailor Orion nodded to Sailor Moon. "Princess," she acknowledged. Then she raised her bracelet to leave.  
"Wait!" This came from Sailor Uranus, who strode up to Sailor Orion and put her hand on the taller Soldier's arm. At the touch, suddenly Uranus felt herself overcome by another wave of inexplicable revulsion. She backed away, staring at Sailor Orion in shock. Uranus completely forgot what she was going to say, and her hands clenched into fists. _Why do I have this sudden urge to hit her?_ Sailor Uranus wondered. _This is so strange! First Shinzui, and now Sailor Orion? Am I going to go around randomly hating people now?_  
Sailor Orion watched Sailor Uranus' reaction, and an odd expression of sorrow filled her face. She shook her head. "I have to go, Uranus. I'm sorry." Before anyone else could move, she had pressed the peach stone on her bracelet and shimmered out of sight.  
Sailor Neptune came up behind Sailor Uranus. "Are you all right, Uranus?" she asked quietly.  
"I don't know," came the reply, as the sandy-haired senshi shook her head. "I just don't know."

"Ta-da!" Usagi announced as she uncovered the platter on the table. Mamoru braced himself, and took a look at the dish that was to be his dinner.  
"Usako!" he exclaimed, when he caught sight of the steaming tray of rice, sushi, steamed vegetables, strips of meat, and other things that looked equally tasty. "This is" he held up a piece of a bell pepper that had been cut to look like a flower, " really pretty."  
Usagi smiled. "Tastes good, too," she boasted, handing him a stuffed dumpling. "Try it."  
Mamoru put a bite into his mouth, and chewed. Usagi watched him anxiously.  
"Well?" she demanded, waiting impatiently for him to swallow. Mamoru grinned at her. "You're right. You have been practicing. This is really good, Usako."  
Usagi beamed happily. "Makoto taught me how to make all kinds of neat stuff," she told him. "You just wait. I'm going to make you fat with all the new recipes I want to try."  
Mamoru chuckled and popped another bite into his mouth. "Promise?"  
She nodded, her ponytails bouncing. Usagi had chosen to wear her hair in its usual style again tonight, but she still wore the pretty white dress she had picked out. Then she pulled something from behind her back. "I have another surprise for you, Mamo-chan." She handed him the papers in her hand.  
Mamoru's eyes widened when he realized what it was. "This is your English test, isn't it, Usako?" His mouth fell open when he saw the grade circled in red at the top. "A 90%! Usako, that's wonderful!"  
Usagi grinned with excitement. "Ami-chan helped me a lot with the studying, and it was a pretty easy test in the first place," she admitted modestly. "But it feels nice to get a good mark. I'm going to study more from now on. When I'm not cooking, that is."  
Mamoru's eyes narrowed with amusement. "Why are you doing all this, Usako?" he wanted to know.  
Usagi took a deep breath as she sat down in the chair across from him. "At first, I thought I was doing it for you. But I'm not."  
"Oh?"  
"I'm doing it for me." Usagi smiled. "I want to learn new things, and be more disciplined and mature and everything. Not all at once, maybe, but a little couldn't hurt."  
Mamoru reached out and touched her face gently. "I love you. You know that, right?"  
Usagi covered his hand with her own. "I know. And I love you too. Always and forever and ever." Then she grinned at him. "Now eat up, but save a little room, because you're not going to believe what I've made for dessert!"

[Back to Part Three][1]  
[On to Part Five][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic3.htm
   [2]: fanfic5.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	5. The dreams of a shining star! Rei's soul...

Part Five: The dreams of a shining star! Rei's soul fire

The enormous silver paper moon came down with a crash onto the stage, causing students to scatter all over in order to escape from it. There was a loud clanking noise as the pulley that had been attached to the moon decoration tumbled down too, landing in the middle of the fragile silver paper and tearing a big hole in the center.  
"No, no, no, NO!!!!" Hino Rei bellowed, glaring furiously at the propsmaster, a first year junior high student who was at the moment wearing an expression of contrition combined with a little fear. Rei marched up to the stage and seized the unfortunate boy's collar. "Now look what you did!" she exploded at him, her deep purple eyes flashing dangerously. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to make that paper moon? You weren't listening to me. I said 'let the cord out slowly,' not 'let the cord go'!!!" She shook her head, her dark hair swinging. "I don't believe this! Less than three days before the Autumn Festival opens, and you people just keep making more work for me!"  
The poor boy looked like he was about to cry. "I'm really sorry, Rei-san. I'll fix it--"   
"Oh, no you won't. You'll just mess it up." Rei let go of his jacket and stalked over to survey the damage. "I'm going to have to do it myself, thanks to your ingenious bout of clumsiness." She bent over to pick up the heavy metal pulley, and set it aside so that she could lift the prop's wooden frame away. "Let's just hope I can salvage some of this." As she inspected the ruined paper, she grumbled under her breath. "Why do I do this to myself? Honestly, you'd think I'd have learned my lesson when I directed this show last year. What a mess!"  
Rei looked up and noticed that all the other students were watching her apprehensively. "What are you staring at?" she barked at them. "Get back to work. We have ten billion things to do! This is not a circus, people!" Quickly scurrying out of her way, they did as she had ordered. Rei stood to her feet and pushed her bangs out of her face with one hand. "All right. Let's try it again, without the moon, this time."   
She left the stage, brushing past the young propsmaster like he wasn't even there. "You ready, girls?" she called off stage right, where six other girls, mostly first-year students, wearing sequined leotards and sporting feathers in their hair, were trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. They nodded their reply to Rei, who returned to the sound booth where she had temporarily taken up residence.  
"Well, at least she isn't yelling at us this time," one of the girls whispered to the others, and they giggled back. Rei had been focusing her energy on the six of them for most of the morning.  
The music began again, and the dancers trotted out on the stage to begin their routine for the twenty-eighth time that morning.  
"It seems that Hino-san is a bit of a slavedriver." This comment was made quietly, at the very back of the auditorium.  
The tall, fair haired girl smiled down at her golden retriever. "Now, Centauri, be gracious. She just works very hard, that's all. Hino Rei has big dreams."  
The guide dog looked up at her, and in the darkness his liquid brown eyes seemed to swallow up everything. "But she shouldn't be so rough on them. They're doing the best that they can. If you want my opinion, Hino-san is just directing this show for her own glory, to pamper her own vanity. She acts like she's a queen or something."  
"Close." Shinzui smiled again mysteriously. "She's a princess. Remember?"  
Centauri snorted. "Princess or no, she's one of the most self absorbed girls I've ever seen."  
"Don't say that, Centauri." The young blind woman's voice suddenly took on a more severe tone. She inclined her head in Rei's direction as the sound of the fiery director's voice could again be heard, scolding the dancers. Shinzui smiled slightly. "She's not really vain. Hino Rei has just got a lot of passion for what she loves, and sometimes that passion doesn't express itself well." She turned her blank gaze back towards her guide dog. "A long time ago, I wasn't that much different from her."  
Centauri looked down, remembering. "Well, maybe not," he answered. "But you couldn't help it. Hino-san knows better. After all, like you said, she is a princess."  
Shinzui smiled. "Well, perhaps I should talk to her." Rei's voice again cut into her concentration as she began hollering at the costume manager. From what Shinzui could make out, the feathers on one of the dancer's headbands had come unglued and caused the girl to slip on the stage, resulting in another minor crisis. Shinzui shook her head slightly. "But I don't think now is a good time."  
Suddenly, a pretty stone set into the blind girl's bracelet started to pulse with a soft light, and a gentle beeping noise was heard. Looking up at his mistress, Centauri sighed. "Sounds like you've got someone else to talk to right now, anyway."  
Shinzui nodded, and rose to her feet, gripping her retriever's harness. "Let's go,then."  
From somewhere in the back of the auditorium, Rei heard a faint beeping sound. "What's that?" she yelled, swinging around prepared to chew out yet another incompetent student. But all she saw was the back of a tall girl with a silvery blond bun and a large golden retriever as the two disappeared out the doors. Rei frowned. _Who was that?_ She wondered. _And how did she get in here? It's supposed to be a closed rehearsal._  
"Holy cow!" The young propsmaster came up behind Rei. He, too, had seen the pair leave. "I don't believe it! She was here, watching us!"  
Rei spun around. "What are you blabbering about?" she demanded. "Do you know who that was?"  
The boy's eyes widened. "Why, Rei-san, I thought you'd know her for sure. That's Giseino Shinzui. She's only one of the most famous musicians and songwriters in Tokyo, and to top it all off, she's blind." He turned to stare back at the door. "And she was observing our rehearsal! That's so cool!"  
Rei's eyes narrowed as she turned to look again at the back of the auditorium where the girl and her guide dog had vanished. _So that's Giseino Shinzui. I wonder what she wants._

The Sacred Child's voice tinkled sweetly against the steaming pipes. "What is it, Guardian Father?"  
The golden robed figure leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "Child," he greeted her, then stepped back to join the other two. "We have been observing your progress."  
"It would seem that the Avatar's new quest commander has revealed himself to us." This was from Oberon, whose soft whisper reverberated in the empty quiet.  
The Child nodded, her shimmering hair floating gently around her shoulders, glittering blue in the eerie electric light of the tunnels. "Yes. I do not think he will be much of a problem, however." The three Guardians could hear amusement in her voice. "Lord Narcissus has an ego nearly as large as the Avatar's, and no common sense whatsoever. He should not pose much threat to our quest."  
The Guardian in the center lifted his head. "Are you sure of that, Child?" he asked. "What if he does find the Silver Dagger first?"  
"Then we'll just have to take it away from him, Guardian Brother," the girl replied, and though Demetrius could not see her face in the dim light, he could hear the mischievously wicked grin in her tone.  
"I almost wish the Negaverse would get it this time," Demetrius responded despondently. "At least then"  
"Then, the world as we know it would come to an end, Guardian Brother. You know that." The Sacred Child's voice was gentle but surprisingly stern. "Because the Princess will give up her own life before she would let the Negaverse conquer her universe. And if the Princess dies, the Crystal dies. If the Crystal dies, everything will cease to exist. Unless we find the Silver Dagger and perform the Sacrifice, the Balance will forever be destroyed. Darkness will prevail for the rest of eternity. Do you really want to see that happen?"  
Demetrius looked up, his sapphire eyes glinting from within the shadows of the golden hood. "Of course not, Child."  
The Sacred Child reached out and touched the face hidden by the folds of the cloak he wore. "We do what must be done, Guardian Brother. Always. We do what must be done." A wistful smile curved her lips, though they could not see it in the darkness of the tunnels. "Listen to me. I sound like Sailor Uranus." She shook her head, and the Guardians looked at one another with unreadable expressions before turning back to the Child.  
"How is that situation working out this time, Child?" Neophilus wanted to know.  
The girl sighed, and it was the sound of unhappiness deeper than any words could express. "Oh, she still remembers at least, her heart remembers, even if her mind has forgotten. She still hates me as much as ever." In the dull light, Demetrius thought he saw the faint sparkle of a tear on the Child's cheek, and his heart went out to her. "But I'm worried. It's never bothered her this much before."  
"Bothered her? What do you mean?" Oberon asked, again in that whispered tone.  
"She's never had a problem hating me, in our past lives, even without knowing the reason why she feels this way. But in the past few lifetimes, she's become more and more sensitive to the fact that her hate has no reason." The Child smiled again bitterly. "At least, none that she knows of." Then she looked up at Demetrius. "She actually apologized to me."  
"What?" Demetrius straightened in surprise. "Apologized? _Uranus_?"  
The girl nodded. "Yes, apologized. And every time I see her, I can feel this guilt in her because of the way she feels." She shook her head slowly. "Hundreds of lifetimes It's been so long but I think the Princess' purity and love is finally beginning to heal some of the damage I've done."  
Oberon nodded. "Let's hope so. It's about time. Sailor Uranus never was one to be injured easily, but she's even harder to heal."  
The Child sighed. "It's just that I'm not sure if she is going to be able to handle her feelings this time. She's already starting to think there's something wrong with her. If she only knew" the girl was very quiet for a long moment, the skirt of her long white gown billowing around her legs as a draft from one of the steam grates blew moist, warm air around them.  
"You shouldn't punish yourself like this, Child," Demetrius stated quietly.  
At this, the young woman's voice turned even more sorrowful. "Have you forgotten what I did to her, Guardian Brother? On the contrary. I could _never_ punish myself enough."  
Oberon sighed, and put his hand on the Child's shoulder. "No more of this talk today. We have too many other things to worry about."  
The girl nodded. "I should get back," she stated, still sounding more unhappy than Demetrius would have liked. She took Oberon's hand in a firm grip. "Safe questing, Guardian Friend." Then she hugged Demetrius. "Safe questing, Guardian Brother." And last, the Child turned and kissed Neophilus on the forehead tenderly. "Safe questing, Guardian Father."  
The three golden robed figures bowed slightly to the Sacred Child. "Safe questing, Child." Another cloud of steam from the pipes obscured the Guardians from view, and when it had lifted, they were gone.  
The girl spun on her heel and strode out of the tunnels, and the clicking of her heels resounded hauntingly against the hollow metal of the pipes.

"Cut! Cut the music!" Rei sighed wearily. "Akiyama. How many times do we have to go through this? This is a dance song. A song of joy. Not a rock concert. I want spirit and life, not rebelliousness and anger. Can't you feel the music, even a little?"  
The young guitar player pushed his sweaty bangs out of his face. "Rei-san, we've gone through this song fifty different times. I guess I just don't understand what you're wanting from me."  
"I want music!!!" Rei bellowed in fury. "Not noise. Music. Why do you insist on playing the song like it's heavy metal?"  
"Perhaps I can help with that."  
Rei spun around to see the tall blind woman and her guide dog standing at the edge of the stage. "How did you get in here?" she demanded rather rudely. Looking around the auditorium, she shouted to no one in particular. "I thought this was a closed rehearsal. Who let her in?"  
Shinzui seemingly ignored the angry director's remark and instead turned to the boy with the guitar. "I understand what it is Hino-san wants," she told him gently. "But sometimes it helps to have someone demonstrate it for you. May I?"  
Akiyama stared at her for a minute. "I uh yeah. Of course, Giseino-san." He removed the electric guitar's strap from his shoulders and handed the instrument to her.  
Smiling as she accepted it, Shinzui replied, "Oh, please, call me Shinzui." She slipped the strap around her own head and cradled the guitar, testing the strings with her fingers and then strumming a few practice cords. "All right. Now listen to this and see if you can hear the difference." Tapping out the beat with her toe, Shinzui began to play the song she'd heard them practicing, not missing a single chord.  
Rei's mouth dropped open as the music enveloped them with its light, happy sound. "That's it that's it exactly. That's just what it's supposed to sound like." She grabbed the microphone and began to sing with the guitar. The drummer in the back picked up the rhythmn, and then the second guitarist jumped in. Akiyama was just staring at Shinzui in surprise as the bouncing, joyful melody swelled through the auditorium. It didn't even sound like the same song he'd been trying to play, and understanding finally dawned in his heart as he finally comprehended what Rei had been asking of him.  
"_In the light of your angel eyes_," Rei sang, her voice carrying clear and true through the auditorium. She was startled as, on the last line, Shinzui sang with her, choosing a perfect harmony with which to end the song.   
"_In the light of your sweet angel eyes._"  
Rei put down the microphone and stared at Shinzui, whose sightless eyes were closed with rapture as she struck the final chord and let the tone fade away. "I don't believe it You learned that song just from listening to it? You can play it on the guitar, and harmonize with the words too? And we haven't even been able to go all the way through it even once today."  
There was a faint smile on the blind woman's face as she removed the guitar and handed it back to its owner. Akiyama took the instrument from her with an expression of awe. "You really are a musical genius," he breathed. "But I thought musical geniuses were only into classical music, and jazz, and stuff like that."  
"Well, I guess I'm not really a musical genius, then," Shinzui responded with a smile. "Because I love dance music, and techno, and rock, and pop, and, well, just about every kind of music there is. They all make me feel something." Then she turned to Rei and spoke to her for the first time. "I'm sorry for disturbing your rehearsal, Hino-san."  
Rei's eyes narrowed. "Well, you really don't have any business being here," she pointed out. "I mean, I don't care if you are a musical genius. This is a closed rehearsal. So what exactly is it that you want?"  
Shinzui inclined her head slightly at the mistrust in Rei's tone, sensing exactly where it came from. "I'm not here to spy on you, Hino-san."   
Rei blushed furiously then, and was grateful that the other young woman's blindness would keep her from seeing her embarrassment. _How did she know I was thinking that?_ Rei wondered. But she kept silent as Shinzui continued.  
"To be honest, I think you have a lot of talent for songwriting, and you have a beautiful voice. I enjoy listening to your music." Shinzui smiled. "But I have noticed that you seem to be having some difficulties in the administration department. I was wondering if you'd like a hand in the production of this show. I'd be more than happy to help you out, if you'd like."  
Rei frowned. She didn't really want help. I want to do this all by myself, she thought. But then she took a look around her, at the half-constructed sets, the costume chaos, and the wearied faces of her dancers and singers, and she sighed. "I don't think I have a choice," Rei conceded. "Just one more day before we open, and at this rate we're never going to be ready."  
Shinzui cocked an eyebrow. "So you'll let me help?"  
Rei nodded. Then she realized that Shinzui could not see the nod, and so she spoke out loud. "Yeah. I guess."  
"Good." The tall blind woman put out a hand. "By the way, I'm Giseino Shinzui."  
"Hino Rei." Rei reached out and took Shinzui's hand. "But no more of this Hino-san business. If we're going to work together, you'd better call me Rei."  
Shinzui nodded. "And you may call me Shinzui."  
"Well, Shinzui-san. Where do you want to start?"  
The fair haired girl cocked her head. "How about if I handle the sets and props for a while? That should give you more time to concentrate on the performances."  
To tell the truth, Rei felt a bit relieved now that she had some help. _Maybe this won't be such a disaster after all._ She grinned and turned back to the band. "You hear that, guys? Let's go through it again. All the way through, this time." Then she turned to Akiyama. "Think you can do it now?"  
Akiyama nodded enthusiastically. "I probably won't be as good as Shinzui-san, but I get it now."  
"All right. From the top, people!" The band struck up the introduction to the music, and Shinzui smiled down at Centauri.   
"Well, let's get to it," she said very quietly to her pet. Centauri did not respond for fear of being overheard, but he did brush up against her leg a little. Then he led her off stage right, where the propsmaster sat puzzling over a damaged cardboard sword that was used in one of the dances.  
"Hey there," Shinzui greeted him. "Need a little help?"   
The boy looked up gratefully, and Shinzui sat down next to him, taking the sword from his hands and evaluating it carefully with her delicate fingertips. "How about if we do it like this"  
Three hours later, Rei called a break. "All right, everyone. Time for lunch. We're all going to meet back here in a half an hour, okay?"  
The students all seemed to instantaneously relax, as though they had been holding their breath all this time and were only now letting it out. Chattering happily, they began to disperse out the auditorium doors towards the school cafeteria. It was Thursday, but all the students involved in the program had been dismissed from classes yesterday,today and tomorrow in order to get the show ready for its opening on Saturday night.   
Rei sighed again and went down into the rows of seats to locate her backpack, which she had left in the sound booth. She pulled out a brown paper bag and drew a sandwich out. Settling in the sound booth's chair, she took a bite of her sandwich and began flipping through the pages of notes she'd been making as to the lighting and music cues. Since Rei herself was going to be in the show, she wouldn't be able to run the sound booth; so her notes had to be clear enough for someone else to follow.   
"Mind if we join you?"   
Rei nearly jumped out of her chair at the sound of Shinzui's voice. "Shinzui-san! You scared me."  
"I'm sorry," the blind girl replied, and she really did sound sorry. "I didn't mean to." Shinzui put her hands up on the edge of the sound booth and lifted herself up until she could sit, perched on the top of the four-and-a-half-foot wall that surrounded the sound equipment. Centauri settled himself on the floor beneath her. Shinzui pulled a small container of something green and squishy looking out of her own bag, as well as a pair of chopsticks.  
Rei raised one eyebrow as she looked at the stuff in Shinzui's hand. "What is that?" she wanted to know.  
"Asparagus. It's one of my favorite vegetables," Shinzui responded with a smile. She used the chopsticks to place one of the green stalks in her mouth, and closed her eyes with pleasure as she chewed. "Mmmm."  
Rei made a face. "Ugh. I hate asparagus."  
Shinzui swallowed, then giggled. "Well, I suppose for some it is an aquired taste." She took another bite, and Rei shivered in exaggerated disgust.  
Hoping to change the subject, Rei gestured towards the stage. "Well, I must admit, I'm impressed. Only three hours and you've already got more than half of the sets settled."  
Shinzui nodded. "Well, a lot of that is thanks to my helpers," she conceded. "I just delegated the responsibilities out; they were the ones who took it from there."  
Rei looked up defensively. "I know what you're going to say, so don't bother."  
"What do you mean?"  
The dark haired girl frowned. "I know I'm hard on them. Maybe I do get a little carried away with wanting to do everything myself. But they don't know anything and they don't listen to me. I have to tell them the same things over and over. That's why I really don't like giving them responsibilities that I know I could handle better myself." She took another bite of her sandwich and chewed vigorously.  
Shinzui shook her head with a soft smile. "I can certainly understand your desire to have everything perfect for the show. You have a lot of passion and enthusiasm for what you do, Rei, and I admire that. But you do have a tendency to make things harder for yourself. As much as you'd like to, you simply can't do everything."  
Rei felt a little upset at this. "Sure I can. It just takes me a little longer."  
"Exactly." Shinzui's voice was surprisingly gentle. "It takes longer. And it's much more frustrating for you and everyone else. Rei-san, you have so much talent. No one would deny that. But even so, you have to let other people participate too, or you will never be able to put the show together."  
Normally Rei would have been angry. She could hear the little voice in the back of her head telling her that now was the time to get furious, and yet, somehow, her smoldering temper didn't feel so smoldering at the moment. Something about the sweetness in Shinzui's voice Rei couldn't bring herself to feel angry. All she really felt at the moment was a slight sense of guilt at the honesty and truth of Shinzui's words. Slowly Rei lowered her head. "I guess I guess you're probably right," she admitted, surprised at herself even as she said it. She almost never admitted to being wrong, especially not in front of a complete stranger. And yet, somehow, Shinzui didn't feel like a stranger at all  
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Rei asked suddenly, forgetting what they had been talking about before.  
A mysterious smile crept over Shinzui's face, but she did not reply directly. Instead, she responded in a flippant tone. "Oh, perhaps, in another life. Perhaps in a former life we were sisters or something. You think?"  
Rei cocked her head, wondering. "Are you teasing me?" All she received was another sweet smile. Rei shook her dark hair. "Well, at any rate, thanks for helping me with the program. Maybe we will be ready on time, at that."  
Shinzui swallowed another piece of asparagus as she responded, "You should thank the other students, too, for their hard work."  
Rei nodded slowly. "I should," she agreed.  
The two girls finished their lunches quickly as students began to file back into the auditorioum, ready to go back to work.  
"Ummm hey, people!" Rei declared in a loud voice as the others began to resume her tasks. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at her apprehensively, expecting another scolding. Instead, to their surprise, they received a nervous grin. "Ummm listen. I want to apologize to all of you for being so tough on you. I know you're all doing your best, and I just wanted to say thank you. If this show is a success it will be your success just as much as mine." The students got very quiet, and looked at each other, uncertain as to how to respond to this very unexpected comment from their usually tempestuous director.   
Shinzui stood behind Rei, and put her hand on the other girl's shoulder as she smiled sweetly at the students. "All right, everybody. You heard her. It's up to you to make this talent program work. So let's get going!"

"And she finished all the sets last night, by herself?"   
Rei nodded at Minako. "Yeah. Even after working all day yesterday, we were still behind. Shinzui-san must have stayed at the school until well past midnight to get it all done." Rei shook her head. "I don't know what we would have done without her. Thanks to Shinzui-san, our opening tomorrow is going to be able to occur right on schedule."  
"Shinzui-san is so cool" Usagi mused dreamily, fingering the pencil in her hands.  
"Usagi-chan you've been staring at that paper for the last half an hour, and you haven't done a single problem," Ami reminded her.  
Usagi sighed and put the pencil down. "It's too hard I can't do math," she complained, stretching her arms above her head for a moment. Ignoring Ami's frown, Usagi turned to Rei.  
"So, Rei-chan. Is Shinzui-san going to perform in the show tomorrow night too?"   
Rei shook her head. "No, unfortunately. I tried to talk her into it you know she can play just about any instrument there is? And she can really sing, too. But she can't even come to the show tomorrow night. She has a charity concert to give over at the Banpuku center at the same time as our Autumn Festival."  
"Shinzui-san is giving a concert? Ooooh. I wanna go!" Usagi squealed with delight. Rei shot her a dirty look, and Usagi abruptly wiped the smile from her face. "But of course, I won't, because my dear friend Rei has a talent show that night." Rei cocked an eyebrow and looked as if she was about to say something, but Ami interrupted her.  
"Let's just hope that this year's Autumn Festival goes better than the one last year," she broke in calmly. "Remember the _yoma_ that nearly destroyed everything?"  
"Remember!" Rei shuddered. "Of course I remember. I was so mad"  
"Well, let's just hope that a _jaki_ doesn't decide to show up to this year's program," Ami commented dryly.  
Rei rolled her eyes. "Oh, thanks a lot, Ami-chan. Now I have something else to worry about."  
"You'll be fine," Minako said soothingly, patting her stressed friend's shoulder. "Everything's going to work out great, you'll see. You and the others have been working so hard. Nothing to worry about."  
Rei tossed Minako a grateful look. "Thanks, Minako-chan. But I don't think I'm going to be able to stop worrying until all of this is over."  
Minako patted her shoulder again sympathetically.  
"All right everybody, back to business," Ami ordered. "Usagi-chan, I want to see you finish the first ten problems before you can go home tonight."  
Usagi's eyes flew wide and she groaned melodramatically. "Ten problems! Are you trying to kill me, Ami-chan?" The other scouts rolled their eyes and giggled.

In the field outside Toyko, the black monument was again humming as the jagged tear in space leaked another drop of the black, greasy liquid onto its surface. Sizzling, the dark substance began to expand and swell, taking on a form with long legs, longer arms, an apelike face, and three pointed feline ears atop its head. The skin of the creature glistened wetly, black and shiny like the stone of the monument it stood upon. Another peal of dark laughter emanated from the hole.  
"Well, my _jaki_. We have another chance. You will find the humans and drain them until we find the one in whom the Silver Dagger has been reborn."  
"Human juice?" The evil spirit's eyes lit at the thought.   
"Yes." Lord Narcissus' voice was as cold as ever. "And if those ridiculous little girls show up again, I'm taking over your body. This time they won't drive me away. Now go, _jaki_, and find me that Dagger!"  
The monster grinned in agreement, and leapt from the monument, rolling tightly into a ball as it flew. The black ball bounced against the ground three times, then entered the sky, flying towards Toyko's skyline with nearly untrackable speed.

"Everything ready to go?" Rei asked softly into the headset she was wearing.   
"Yes, Rei-san, we're all ready back here." The girl's voice crackled into Rei's earpiece from the sound booth, where the technician team was waiting for their cue to begin the show.   
Rei nodded with satisfaction. "Any last minute questions?" she whispered, keeping her voice down so that the crowd gathering in the auditorium would not be able to hear her. "Speak now, if you've got any problems."  
"Well, actually, I do have one question, Rei-chan." This was Minako's voice. Minako had been recruited at the last minute into helping with the sound equipment for the night's show.   
"Oh? Fire away, Minako-chan."  
"How much are we getting paid to do this again?"  
Rei scowled. "Minako"  
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You'll do great. Break a leg, okay?"  
"I certainly hope not!" Rei hissed back. She could hear giggling on the other end.  
"Oh, Rei-chan, it's just an expression. For good luck. Because it's bad luck if I say 'good luck'."  
Rei sighed. "You just said it, Minako-chan."  
"Oh."  
Rei rolled her eyes, even though her friend couldn't see it. "Just pay attention to my notes, okay? We've got five minutes to curtain. I'll speak to you again then to give you the cue." With that last statement, Rei switched the headset off and removed it, carefully fluffing her hair out again. Then she took a deep breath and willed herself to be calm. Everything's going to be all right. Nothing to worry about. Still, she couldn't help sneaking a peek around the backstage area, looking for any sign of a _jaki_. _Please, not this time. Please just leave me alone tonight._  
Precisely five minutes later, Rei picked up the headset again, but did not put it on. Instead, she just flipped the switch and spoke into the little microphone. "Okay, everybody," she whispered. "It's showtime." Putting the headset down and taking another deep breath, Rei strode out onto the darkened stage behind the curtain.  
She closed her eyes and counted slowly to five. Perfectly on cue, the heavy red velvet curtain lit up as the spotlight was turned on, and Rei could hear the audience quieting as they settled down to watch the show. The curtains slid open then, to an energetic musical fanfare, and Rei put on her brightest smile. _Time to shine._ She stepped forward to the microphone.  
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Brookdale School's twenty-first annual Autumn Festival." The audience clapped and whistled, and above the rest Rei could hear Makoto's voice cheering her on. She had to grin at this, and she looked down at the front row to see Usagi, Ami, Makoto and Chibiusa all waving and smiling at her. Feeling encouraged, Rei continued. "We hope you'll enjoy the talents presented here tonight. I'd like to thank all the students, who worked so hard to make this Festival a success. And a very special thanks goes out to Gisieno Shinzui, who unfortunately could not be here with us tonight. Without her help I don't think any of us would be here." Again the audience cheered and applauded. Rei smiled again, sweetly. "So without further ado, I present to you the students of Brookdale Private School. Let the show begin!"  
Right on cue, the lights blacked out so that Rei could escape offstage. The band in the orchestra pit then struck up the chords of the first song, and the six dancing girls, with feathers firmly sewed to their headbands this time, pranced out onto the stage to begin their routine.  
Rei began to relax more and more as the night progressed. So far, everything had been working perfectly. The light and curtain cues couldn't be more precise, none of the dancers missed a single step, the saxophone player had managed to fix the timbre of his instrument so it wasn't sharp, and even Umino, who had insisted on participating in the Festival (even though he didn't attend Brookdale-he had somehow managed to sweet-talk the headmistress into allowing him to join the talent show) with a dramatic science demonstration, was able to pull off his entire act without a single unwarranted explosion or random fire. Rei had already gone through three of her solos and the two group numbers she was in. Now all that remained was the grand finale.  
"I have to hand it to you, Minako-chan," Rei whispered into the headset as Umino came off the stage, his jacket still emanating blue and purple smoke. She coughed a little as the pungent smoke passed by her, and waved her hand in front of her face to clear the air. "You guys have done a perfect job tonight."  
"See? Like I told you. Nothing to worry about." Minako giggled over the microphone. "You're doing great, everyone loves it, and there's not a _jaki_ in sight."  
Just then, there was a bloodcurdling scream from the back of the auditorium. Minako's voice crackled through the microphone. "Uh Rei? You're not going to believe this, but"  
"Let me guess," Rei groaned. "Speak of the devil?"  
"Uh-huh. You'd better transform right away. Usagi and the others are already heading out the back."  
Rei dropped the microphone. "It's just not fair!" she complained to no one in particular. "Why does this always happen to me? That stupid evil spirit's going to pay for ruining my show!" She pulled out her transformation pen. "Mars Star Power, Makeup!" The red fires swirled around her, embracing her with that delicious, familiar power that Rei relished. After a few moments, Sailor Mars was ready to go kick a little _jaki_ butt.  
Sailor Mars leapt out onto the stage and siezed the microphone. "Stop right there!" she bellowed at the glistening black monster. Suddenly it seemed like everyone in the auditorium had frozen. Mars could feel two hundred pairs of eyes watching her with interest. _They all think this is part of the show!_ She realized with a start. Then a smile curved her lips. _Well, we did promise a big finale. I guess it's up to the Sailor Scouts to give them one._ Raising her arms dramatically, Sailor Mars cried out, "I am the agent of love and fire, a pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor Mars. You are a thing of evil, and evil will not be tolerated so long as the Sailor Senshi are here to protect the world."  
"Sailor Mars! What on earth are you doing?" Sailor Venus had come up right behind her on the stage, followed closely by Sailor Moon and the others. Mars spoke softly out of the side of her mouth so the audience couldn't hear her.   
"Everybody thinks this is part of the Festival," she whispered to her friends. "So let's give them an encore to remember!"  
Sailor Venus caught on first, and grinned. Striking a melodramatically defensive position, she yelled, "I am the agent of love and beauty, a pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor Venus. I will fight to defend the people of my world from evil creatures that wish them harm."  
"I am the agent of love and lightning," Sailor Jupiter jumped in, "a pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor Jupiter. My powers are dedicated to the preservation of goodness, and you, ugly, are on your way out!" Jupiter raised her fist so that the power rod from her tiara crackled demonstratively.  
Sailor Mercury stepped forward. "I am the agent of love and air, a pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor Mercury. In the name of Mercury, I will not forgive you, evil spirit, for disturbing the peace of our world."  
Then it was Sailor Moon and Sailor ChibiMoon's turn. Jostling each other for a position in the front, the two of them lifted their hands.   
"We are the agents of love and justice" Sailor Moon began.  
" pretty Sailor Soldiers" ChibiMoon broke in.  
"Sailor Moon!"  
"Sailor ChibiMoon!"  
"In the name of the moon, we will punish you!" the two girls finished, pointing their fingers at the astonished _jaki_, who had not even had the time to drain a single human from the audience before the Scouts had arrived.  
The evil spirit's three catlike ears flicked back and forth. It opened its mouth and hissed at the Sailor Senshi, but instead of sending out the usual bolts of black energy, the creature's body began to morph into some odd shapes, lengthening and slenderizing, and taking on a decidedly lavender shade. A moment later, Lord Narcissus was standing there in the aisle, staring up at the Sailor Team on the stage. Sailor Mars heard astonished gasps from the audience, and the voice of one woman in the front who remarked on how wonderful the special effects were ("Oh, did you see? That ugly costume just changed into a pirate.")  
Lord Narcissus laughed, and the chilling sound filled the auditorium. "We meet again, Sailor Brats. But this time you're not going to drive me away."  
"Don't be so sure about that!" Sailor Mars interrupted furiously. "Burning Mandala!" Her circle of fiery spheres formed, then shot straight at the violet-clad admiral. The sudden attack caught him off guard, and he was knocked to the ground. Before he had the chance to recover, both Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury had blasted him with their attacks as well, so that the unfortunate Lord Narcissus was now covered in singed clothing, crackling with electrical energy, and dripping wet all at the same time. He certainly didn't seem too pleased about it.  
"Sailor Scum!" he hollered in rage, his pale face turning a very interesting shade of pink. "I'll destroy you all!" A lavender-colored ball of negatively charged lightning began to form in his hands.  
"Venus Lovely Chain!" The chain of magic golden hearts knocked the powered up attack from Lord Narcissus' fingers, causing it to evaporate harmlessly in the aisle. Several of the audience members clapped and whistled, evoking a glare from the violet Negaverse admiral.  
As Lord Narcissus prepared to make another pretty speech, Sailor Mars pulled out one of her _ofuda_, her evil banishment scrolls, and held it up. "Haven't used this attack in a year," she called to the admiral, "but it seems appropriate." Holding the _ofuda_ to her face, she concentrated for a moment, then threw the strip of paper with Japanese symbols straight at Lord Narcissus. Interlocking her fingers and keeping her index fingers extended, Sailor Mars raised her hands to the sky. "Fire Soul Bird!" she exclaimed, and then let one of her fireballs fly right after the _ofuda_. The fire engulfed the sacred paper, and took the form of a giant phoenix which swooped down towards the lavender Lord.  
For a moment, no one could see anything as the villain was surrounded by the flames of the firebird. But when the attack had dissipated, it was easy to see that Lord Narcissus was not feeling half so cocky. Clutching one arm, which seemed to be badly burned, he glared at the Sailor Soldiers. "You haven't won, girls. I'm coming back. The Negaverse will prevail!" With that, the Avatar's admiral shimmered out of focus, returning ownership of the _jaki_'s body back to the creature. The audience began to cheer, but it was not over yet.  
"Runs away quick, doesn't he?" Sailor Jupiter commented dryly.  
"Sailor Moon! I think the grand finale should now be finalized," Sailor Mars stated.  
Raising her Spiral Heart Moon Rod, Sailor Moon grinned. "You got it, Mars. Moon Healing Escalation!" She spun around in a circle, activating the power of her Rod, and send the cleansing, purifying beam straight at the evil monster.   
Howling its displeasure, the _jaki_'s oily body melted away into a puddle of shiny black goo that was absorbed into the floor. The audience roared with delight and rose to its feet, whistling and cheering. The applause was so deafening that the Senshi wanted to cover their ears, but they did their best to smile, and wave, and bow, and blow kisses, as they walked off the stage.  
The first person they met offstage was  
"Sailor Orion!" Sailor Moon's eyes widened in surprise. "You're here!"  
"Of course, Princess Serenity." Sailor Orion's voice tinkled. "I told you I would always be looking out for you but it doesn't seem like you really needed me this time." She smiled, her silvery dove-colored eyes glinting, and turned to the dark haired Sailor Scout.  
"Sailor Mars. Well done."  
This quiet praise somehow meant more to Mars than all the applause in the world, and she wasn't quite sure what to say. "Oh, I thank you."  
Sailor Orion smiled. "I know the passion in your heart is to be a star, Sailor Mars. And that is a worthy dream. But you must always remember that it is your passion that will make you a star. If you want people to love your music, you must make music they can love. You must make music from your soul, music of fire and light." She inclined her head at Mars' startled expression. "Don't be so surprised, Mars. I've known you longer than you can even remember." She turned to the other Soldiers. "And that goes for the rest of you, too. Each of you has big dreams, you always have. Just don't let the dream stifle the passion behind it." The peach and black clad senshi raised her arm. "Until next time, Princess." She pressed the peach stone on her bracelet, and vanished.  
"Psst. Guys. We'd better detransform right now, before the rest of the performers get back here where they can see us." This remark was made by the ever-conciencious Ami. The other Scouts nodded and all six powered down at once, and not a minute too soon.  
"Rei-san! Rei-san! Did you see? The Sailor Scouts!" Akiyama ran up to her, breathless.  
Rei struck a casual tone. "Oh, yeah. They're friends of mine. I asked them to come give a little surprise demonstration for the Festival, and they were kind enough to agree."  
"It was a surprise, all right! That's the coolest thing I've ever seen! Everybody here is going to be talking about this Autumn Festival for a long time." Then he gave Rei a little shove towards the stage. "Come on," he urged. "We still have our big final number to do."  
Rei turned back uncertainly. "After what just happened in there? We can't follow the Sailor Scouts! It will be a let down to end the show that way now."  
"Don't be silly, Rei-san. Your song can top _anybody_ else's performance."  
Rei spun around to look at him, her deep indigo eyes searching his face. "Do you really think so, Akiyama?"  
"Of course. Now go!"  
Rei turned to her friends, who all flashed her encouraging smiles. Taking a deep breath, Rei took to the stage once more.  
"Ladies and gentlemen. I'm so glad you all could make it tonight, and that you've enjoyed our program." This was met by another loud roar of applause. "We're going to end our show tonight with a final number that I wrote for some of my dearest friends in the world." Rei cast a glance offstage where those same friends were standing in the wings. Makoto winked at her, and Rei smiled, then turned back to the audience. "It's called 'Angel Eyes'."  
As the first chords of the song began, the tall young woman at the back of the auditorium looked down at the golden retriever at her side. "What did I tell you?" she said softly with a hint of a smile. "Passion. The girl has passion."  
Centauri nodded in agreement. "You were right, Shinzui-san. I'm glad the concert over at the Banpuku center ended in time for us to get here for the last song."  
Shinzui nodded. She could tell by the stillness and quiet in the auditorium that the audience was completely entranced by the raven-haired singer on stage, and she smiled again. "So am I, Centauri." She closed her eyes and let her body sway to the joyous music. "So am I."

  
[Back to Part Four][1][  
On to Part Six][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic4.htm
   [2]: fanfic6.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	6. The universal language of love! Ami's sc...

Part Six: The universal language of love! Ami's school troubles

"We really ought to talk about Sailor Orion," Mizuno Ami pointed out calmly to the other girls seated around the table. So far the Sailor Scout meeting hadn't been terribly productive. Usagi and Chibiusa had gotten into another argument, as usual. Makoto had been too distracted by preparing snacks for everybody to really participate. Rei was exhausted from yesterday's exertion at the Autumn Festival, and Minako was not really paying attention, because she was too busy reading through one of her fashion magazines. Even Haruka and Michiru, who normally didn't even attend the meetings, were being unusually quiet.  
But Orion's name worked like magic. Usagi and Chibiusa immediately broke off in mid-howl, and turned to face the table. Makoto set the tray of cookies she was carrying down in front of them and took a seat. Minako dropped her magazine, and Rei looked up. Haruka and Michiru, too, seemed to suddenly take a little more interest in the meeting. It was true that they were all a bit awed and curious about the new Sailor Senshi that had appeared in their midst.  
Ami smiled a bit at the sudden response. "Well, I for one would like to know exactly what she's doing here," she began, looking down at the flickering screen of her mini-computer. "It must be more than coincidence that she showed up just when the first _jaki_ attacked."  
Haruka frowned. "I don't trust her."  
Everyone turned to look at the deep-voiced racer with surprise.  
"Haruka-san! She's a Sailor Soldier! And she's saved our lives several times already. Why would you say something like that?" Usagi wanted to know.  
Haruka shook her sandy hair. "I just don't trust her. She's not She's not really like us, is she? I mean, we don't know anything about her. What if she's an agent of the Negaverse, too, and she's just here to manipulate us into doing something for her?"  
Chibiusa frowned at this. "But, Haruka-san," she protested, "Sailor Saturn even came and told us we could trust her. I don't think Saturn would lie to us."  
The scowl did not leave Haruka's brow. "Maybe Sailor Saturn doesn't know the whole truth either." She looked up, and her great gray eyes met Usagi's openly. "Sailor Orion obviously knows a lot that she is not telling us, and under the circumstances I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. Lord Narcissus said that we should ask Orion for the answers. But she's not telling."  
"Haruka-san." Minako's voice was gentle. "Have you forgotten that when we first met you two, you also had some very important secrets that you refused to share with us?"  
Michiru nodded in Minako's direction. "That's true. But we did it for the safety of our mission."  
"You mean you did it because you didn't want us to try and stop you from sacrificing innocent people." Makoto's green eyes glinted, and Ami could see where this conversation was heading.  
"We've already been through that, Mako-chan," she pointed out. "And it's pretty clear that we're never going to be able to agree on that particular subject, so let's just drop it, okay?" Ami turned to the rest of the girls. "What we need to discuss is whether or not the secrets Sailor Orion is keeping from us are really for our own protection or not. I mean, here we are having to fight these ugly evil spirits that keep popping up everywhere, and we don't know where they come from or what it is they want. I've run every single analysis I can think of, trying to find some answers, and all I end up with are more questions."  
"Why don't you just tell us what you've got so far?" Makoto suggested. "Maybe if we put our heads together we can come up with more possibilities."  
Ami nodded. "My thinking exactly, Mako-chan." She looked down at her computer screen. "Okay, here's what we do know. The _jaki_ are evil spirits under the authority of Lord Narcissus, who claims to be an admiral from the Negaverse serving someone called the Avatar. The _jaki_ are drinking human blood, randomly, throughout Toyko, for some reason that hasn't yet been made clear to us. Sailor Orion is, somehow, connected to Lord Narcissus and this Avatar person, but it seems that they are on opposing sides. Sailor Orion knows an awful lot about each of us, even though we don't know anything about her. And apparently, she possesses a power that is greater than any of ours, except perhaps Sailor Moon's."  
Usagi nodded. "And it's really weird, the way she always calls me 'Princess', never Sailor Moon. It's like the fact that I'm the Moon Princess is really important to her for some reason."  
Ami's eyes widened. "That's right, Usagi. I hadn't thought of that."  
Usagi beamed, quite pleased with herself.   
Then Chibiusa chimed in. "And we can't forget about Sailor Saturn." Everyone turned to look at her for a minute.  
"What do you mean, Chibiusa-chan?" Michiru asked.  
"Well, Sailor Saturn took the time and energy to appear to us after we first met Sailor Orion," the littlest scout pointed out. "She seemed to know quite a bit about her, and she said that we've had lots of past lives with Sailor Orion, and that even though we've lost our memories from them, Sailor Orion hasn't."  
Makoto nodded. "That would explain why she knows so much about us."  
"And Sailor Saturn also talked about a sacrifice. That Sailor Orion was the Sacrificial Soldier, here to save Sailor Moon from some kind of death," Minako reminded them all. "She said that Orion's powers were from the same realm as Sailor Moon's."  
"I wonder what she meant by that," Rei mused. "I mean, she said that Orion was the only other Sailor Soldier with power in Sailor Moon's realm, and she called it the Realm of Soul."  
"Perhaps that means that each of us Sailor Soldiers have power from a different sort of realm," Ami concluded slowly. "But if that were true, why aren't we aware of these realms, and what they mean?"  
Rei cocked her head thoughtfully. "Well, that 'realm' theory would explain a lot about our powers. I mean, you've noticed that each of us seems to have power over different elements of nature and spirituality."  
It was quiet in the room for a moment, and Usagi noticed that Haruka was sitting in sullen silence across the table, looking very displeased with the whole topic. "Haruka-san," she spoke up. "You look upset. What's the matter?"  
Haruka rose to her feet in one smooth motion. "I just don't want to talk about Sailor Orion anymore. I don't think we're going to find any answers until we get them out of her." The intense gray eyes narrowed considerably. "And we're going to have to get them out of her, one way or another."  
Usagi frowned. Haruka's oddly negative reaction confused her. "Is something wrong, Haruka-san?" Her crystal blue eyes shimmered with concern for her friend. "It seems like you really hate Sailor Orion, or something."  
Haruka closed her eyes for a minute, and Michiru reached up to gently touch her partner's hand. Usagi wondered if she'd said something to hurt her, so serious was the young racer's expression. Without thinking, the Sailor leader jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around Haruka's waist, the only part of the tall girl that Usagi could reach. "I'm sorry, Haruka-san. Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to."  
Haruka's eyes opened, startled at the feel of the petite girl's arms around her, and she looked down with a mixture of surprise and then tenderness. Her smile, slight as usual, softened her features as she gazed at the top of the tiny senshi's dumpling-crowned head. For some reason, Tsukino Usagi had a way of reaching her heart like no one else ever had, filling Haruka with a strange combination of parental protectiveness and awed respect. She had difficulty determining whether she ought to be patting Usagi's head maternally or kneeling at her feet. Shaking her head gently, she responded, "I'm fine, Usagi-chan. Really. I've just got some things I'm trying to figure out right now."  
Usagi looked up at her. "Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked innocently. "Maybe I could help"  
Haruka looked down and met Michiru's deep aqua eyes, then returned her gaze to Usagi's. "No. I have to figure this out for myself."  
Usagi still looked concerned, but she gave Haruka another hug anyway. "All right," she conceded a bit hesitantly.   
Ami broke in at that moment. "I'm sorry, guys, but I have to get to the library before it closes. I have an Advanced English Literature test tomorrow morning." She closed up her computer and began to gather her papers together. "But I'm going to think about what you all said, and run a few more diagnostics to see if we can manage to gather more information."  
Rei looked at the blue-haired scholar with concern. "Ami-chan, you've already got dark circles under your eyes from studying too much. Aren't you the one who's always telling us that cramming is unhealthy?"  
Ami sighed. "I know, Rei-chan. But this class is especially difficult, and I have to study extra hard for it if I'm going to get a good grade."  
Usagi frowned and leaned across the table, putting her face only a few inches from Ami's. "Ami-chan! If you make yourself sick with studying, I will not forgive you!" she declared with a scowl.  
Ami looked up, and she had to smile at her academically challenged friend. "It's all right, Usagi-chan. It's just a little extra work. I don't mind. I'll be just fine, really." Then she turned to Michiru. "But I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to come to the pool tomorrow for that swimming match we were going to have. I simply must study."  
Michiru nodded gracefully. "I understand. Perhaps another time."  
"Sure." Ami finished sliding her papers into her backpack, and stood up. "I'll see all of you tomorrow. Have a good afternoon, everybody!" This was said with a cheerful wave as Ami headed for the front door and left the temple.  
"Well, I guess we should probably go, too," Usagi announced brightly to Chibiusa, and made as if to leave. Four pairs of hands reached out to grab her and pull her back to the table.  
Rei shook her head. "Oh no you don't, Usagi. You're staying here to study with us. If I remember correctly, you also have a test tomorrow."  
Usagi groaned. "But"  
Makoto touched her friend's arm. "Hey, whatever happened to your resolve to study more?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow. "I thought you were going to try and do better in school."  
"But"  
"You did say you wanted to be more serious and mature," Minako reminded her.  
"But"  
"Who cares how she does on that dumb test?" Chibiusa broke in, and Usagi looked at her future daughter gratefully. But the gratitude quickly dissipated at the little girl's next comment. "I mean, hey, if she keeps on getting bad grades Mamo-chan won't take her on dates anymore. And that means he'll have time to go shopping with me." Chibiusa grinned happily.  
Usagi spun around to Rei. "Rei-chan. Hand me that algebra book," she ordered.  
Michiru and Haruka exchanged smiles as Rei handed her the requested item, and they rose to their feet. "We'll take Chibiusa home for you, Usagi-chan," Michiru offered, an idea which pleased Chibiusa very much.   
Usagi didn't even look up from the algebra book. "Okay," she agreed, not really even paying attention. She was glaring at the pages of equations with determination. The two older girls looked at each other again, and Chibiusa tugged on their hands.  
"Come on, Haruka-san, Michiru-san. Can we go?"  
Haruka grinned down at the pink-haired, dumpling-headed child. "How about we get ice cream first?" she offered, already knowing what her response would be. Chibiusa clapped her hands, and her russet eyes danced with delight. Haruka chuckled and swung the little girl up onto her shoulders. "Let's go, then."   
The three waved goodbye to the remaining scouts, and Usagi was still too absorbed in the math book to even acknowlege they were leaving. Haruka and Michiru grinned at each other again, and Michiru shook her head good-naturedly. Then they approached the door, with Chibiusa chattering excitedly as they left the temple.

"Where are you, my _jaki_? Come forward." The chilling voice seemed to evoke a response from the black liquid oozing about the edges of the slowly expanding hole, which was now about the size of a basketball. A drop of the gooey stuff gathered and fell, striking the shiny black surface of the monument.  
A moment later, another _jaki_ had made its appearance. This one was even uglier than its predecessors, possessing three twisted, curling horns that emerged from his glistening black forehead. The creature turned towards the hole in space, its yellow eyes sparkling in a most unpleasant way.  
"_Jaki_ here, Lord Narcissus."  
"Good." The Negaverse admiral's voice was as spiteful as ever. "Now listen to me. The Avatar is quite displeased with our recent failures. We must bring him results soon, or he may run out of patience. You will find the humans and drain their blood, and find me that blasted Dagger! Do you understand?"  
The monster nodded and licked its lips. "Human juice Dagger. Understand."  
"I want that Dagger, _jaki_. The Negaverse must be freed! Now go go and complete our mission!"  
The evil spirit grinned, exposing sharp white teeth that contrasted starkly with the darkness of its face. It slid off the ornately carved black monument, and landed softly in the grass. Rolling itself into a smooth ebony ball, the _jaki_ rose into the air and bounced against the ground. It landed and bounced again, and again, and then soared into the blue Japanese sky, tracing the now-familiar curved trajectory towards the city.  
The darkness beyond the tear in space seemed to swell a little, as if someone behind it was testing the strength of its edges. A peal of wicked, bloodcurdling laughter resounded through the empty plain, causing the monument beneath to shudder slightly at the sound. "Soon, Child soon victory will be ours, and your pitiful little sacred sacrifices will come to an end!" Lord Narcissus laughed again, and the gaping hole appeared to stretch just a little bigger.

Ami stared at the book in front of her, then closed her eyes wearily and rubbed her aching temples._ I don't understand! Why is this so difficult? It's just poetry. I should be able to do this! _She opened her eyes again and looked down in frustration at the English words on the page. Then she drew out a paper from one of her folders and gazed at it sadly. In red ink, a huge 72% had been circled at the top of the page. Next to it, in her teacher's sprawling Japanese handwriting, there was a little note.** "Ami, this is not the quality of your usual work. Perhaps you should speak with me."**  
Ami sighed, and ran her fingers through her short blue locks. _What am I going to do?_ She could feel tears pricking behind her eyes as she stared again at that horrible, ugly 72% marked so boldly on her paper. _It doesn' t matter how much I study, I just don't get it._ She shook her head. A flash of guilt ran through her when she thought of her friends._ I didn't tell them the whole truth. I don't want them to know. How on earth can I tell them I'm having trouble in school? They all look up to me. I just couldn't stand to have them disappointed in me. _Ami could picture the shock and pity in Usagi's face if she was told, and then she envisioned her friend's inevitable shrug of carelessness.   
"Don't worry about it," Usagi would say with a sweet smile and a well meaning hug. "School's not that important, Ami-chan."  
"It is to me," Ami whispered, tears blurring her vision. "It's important to me." She lowered her head onto her arms, and a tear slid down her nose and soaked the red ink on her paper. _ Studying-it's all I've got. I study hard, because the things I know help me to protect my friends. If I can't succeed in this class, how can I hope to succeed as Sailor Mercury and protect them all? _Another tear followed the first. _I have to work on this until I get it. I have to. But right now it doesn't feel like I'll ever understand. I've been up until two in the morning every night this week, and these poems still don't make any sense. _A shuddering sob escaped her.   
"Is everything all right?"  
Ami sat up quickly and wiped her eyes, trying not to look like she'd been crying. The young woman who had come up to her took a seat across the table from her, and her golden retriever, who was easily identified as a guide dog for the blind by the harness he wore, sat next to her. Ami returned her gaze to her book and did her best to make her voice sound light and cheery.  
"Oh, yes. Just fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all."  
The vacant eyed girl tilted her head, her keen hearing catching the hidden tears in Ami's tone. "You're Mizuno Ami, right?"  
Ami looked up in surprise. "That's right. Do I know you?"  
"Not exactly. I'm Giseino Shinzui."  
"Oh, you're the Giseino Shinzui my friends have been telling me about," Ami realized, forgetting her troubles for a moment. "Hino Rei told me you're a musician."  
"Of sorts," Shinzui smiled at the young girl. "And you're the academic genius."  
"Not too genius lately, I'm afraid," Ami commented before she could stop herself. Then she frowned. _Why did I just say that?_|  
Shinzui picked up on the break in the other girl's voice, and her face suddenly got very soft. "What's the matter?" she inquired gently.  
Ami stared at the pale-haired young woman curiously. _I get the strangest feeling around her like I know her from someplace else. Why do I suddenly feel like telling her everything? _Ami shook her head. "Nothing, really," she started to lie. "I'm just tired" But looking at Shinzui's face, Ami could tell that the other girl didn't believe that for a minute, and what was more, the blind woman looked so open and sincere that Ami couldn't keep up the pretense. Without realizing what she was doing, Ami began to talk about the class that was giving her trouble.  
"Well, to tell the truth, I'm having trouble in my Advanced English Lit class. I just can't make sense of this poetry, no matter how hard I try. But I don't know what else to do-I've tried everything I can think of and they still don't make sense to me. I've been staying up late every night, and I've read these poems so many times I could probably recite them by heart. Nothing helps I still don't understand." Ami could feel the tears rise in her eyes again. "The worst part is, I can't tell my friends about any of this."  
"Why not?" Shinzui wanted to know, her tone very soft.  
"Because. I'm supposed to be the one with all the answers. They count on me. How could I disappoint them like that? Being smart is the one thing I can do really well, the one way I can help them and" Ami couldn't finish her sentence as her voice broke. "How do I tell them I'm not what they think? How do I tell them I'm a failure?"  
Shinzui smiled a little, and reached out to touch Ami's hand gently. Ami felt a charge of something strange run through her at the contact and her dark blue eyes widened. _She's so familiar! I'm certain I know her from somewhere_  
"Mizuno-san. You must have more faith in yourself. You must have more faith in your friends. If they are true friends, then they like you for who you are, not what you can do for them." Shinzui's tinkling voice filled Ami with a warmth that she could not explain. "Everyone struggles, even in the areas where they are most talented. Those struggles are what help us to grow, to expand our gifts. Your friends will understand that."  
Ami gazed at Shinzui. "Tell me, Giseino-san. Do you ever struggle with your music?"  
Shinzui nodded, and her voice was very honest. "Every single day." A faint smile curved her lips. "There were many times when I wanted to give it up altogether. I was so frustrated because I could not see the notes on the page. I could not see the keys on the piano, or the strings of the guitar. I could not even see the faces of the people who were hearing my music."  
Ami raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"  
"I opened my heart to the music. I forgot about trying to read notes or play the right chords, and I let the music speak to me instead. Once I did that, the other aspects just fell into place."  
Ami looked down at the poem in front of her. "I wish I knew how to do that with this poetry."  
"Which poem is it?"  
Ami gave a half-laugh. "Oh, you've probably never even heard of it."  
"Try me." Shinzui's face was quite serious now, and as Ami looked at her, she felt certain that the blind woman was not just teasing her.  
"Well, actually, it's a series of poems by a Scottish poet named Robert Burns. They're written in English, but that's not the difficult part. It's that they're written in a Scottish accent, so that there are words in it that don't mean the same thing as they usually do in English. Some of the words aren't even real words!" Ami pointed to a particular line on the page. "Like here, where it says, 'Til a' the seas gang dry'. It doesn't make any sense to me at all."  
Shinzui cocked her head. "Maybe you're looking at it the wrong way."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You're trying to decipher the poem, like it's written in a secret code that must be cracked. But poetry is not like science, Mizuno-san." The blind girl smiled. "Poetry is meant to be read with feeling, not with analyzation."  
Ami shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand."  
"Well, take Robert Burns, for instance. Did you know that he wrote most of his poems to be sung?"  
Ami nodded. "Well, yes, my teacher did tell us that. But I still don't see"   
"Many of his poems were difficult for his own people to read, because they are indeed written in an unusual language. But they made perfect sense once they were sung, because they then sound exactly the way the people of his country speak. For instance, the song that many people sing on New Year's Eve, 'Auld Lang Syne'. He wrote that."  
"Really?" Ami was surprised. "I've heard that song I didn't know he wrote it."  
Shinzui nodded. "Many of his other poems, like 'Sweet Afton' and 'A Red, Red Rose' were also written as songs. And it's true that they are quite difficult to understand, until you hear them set to music." The girl's empty gaze was nearly glowing with enthusiasm. "To tell the truth, Robert Burns is one of my favorite poets. Once you understand the meaning of his work, it is very moving."  
Ami looked doubtfully at the lines of English writing on the page in front of her. "I don't think I'll ever be able to understand it like that, Giseino-san."   
"Sure you will." Ami looked up, catching a note of mischief in Shinzui's tone. The fair-haired young woman closed her eyes for a moment, and then began to sing. The purity and sweetness of her voice, even without instrumental accompaniment, enveloped Ami with its shimmering spirit. Ami felt herself being absorbed into the melody, as Shinzui sang the English words in a perfect Scottish brogue. And for the first time it didn't matter that Ami didn't understand them. The emotions that flowed from the melodic syllables didn't need definitions in order to be understood. Ami closed her eyes, too, as the poem that had plagued her for so long unveiled itself in all its deep-hearted glory  
_ "Oh, my luv's like a red, red rose  
That's newly sprung in Joon  
Oh, my luv's like a melodie  
That's sweetly playd in toon  
So fare art thou, my bonnie lass,  
So deep in luv am I  
I weel luv thee steel, m' dear,  
'Til a' the seas gang dry  
'Til the seas gang dry, m' dear,  
And rocks melt wi'the sun  
I weel luv thee steel, m' dear  
While the sands of life shall run  
Now feer thee weel, my bonnie lass  
Now feer thee weel, the while  
I weel come to thee m' luv  
Though it were ten thousand mile."_  
The passion and devotion of the music was unmistakeable, and Ami could feel the meaning of the words penetrate her soul. My love, you are a rose, a perfect song. I will love you until the seas dry up, and rocks melt in the sun. I will love you as long as I live, and no matter how far apart we are, I will travel any distance to be with you. Shinzui's angelic voice gave each word life, and Ami found herself wondering how she ever could have missed the power and beauty that this poem had to offer.   
Ami opened her eyes to see tears on Shinzui's cheeks as she finished the last notes, crystalline and clear, and she realized that this was more than just another song. This song held meaning for Shinzui some very deep meaning. The blind girl with the sweet voice was singing this song, not for herself or for Ami, but for someone else. Someone who was obviously very special.   
"Who is he?" Ami asked, so enraptured in the moment that she forgot that this question might sound terribly rude.  
Shinzui opened her vacant eyes, and this time her smile held a touch of bitterness. She did not have to ask what Ami meant; she already knew, and she shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she responded softly. "It makes no difference. The destiny of eternity will forever dictate our separate paths." Then she seemed to snap out of her melancholy, and her smile turned much more genuine. "Do you understand the poem now?"  
Ami nodded, her blue bangs bouncing into her eyes. "Yes. I do and you were right. I was trying to decipher the poem instead of really hearing what it had to say." Her blue eyes sparkled. "But now it makes sense. I really do understand! And it's beautiful." Ami was so relieved and excited that she felt like giggling uncontrollably. But instead she just turned and touched Shinzui's hand. "Thank you so much, Giseino-san."  
"Call me Shinzui," the other girl grinned. "And any time you need help with Robert Burns or any other poet for that matter, you can come talk to me. Poetry is one of my favorite subjects, next to music, of course."  
Ami smiled at the young blind woman, and then started to ask her a question. But before she could say a single word, Shinzui stiffened and a very odd expression crossed her face. The fair haired girl suddenly reached down and gripped Centauri's harness tightly.  
"Shinzui-san, is something wrong?" Ami looked at her with concern.  
Shinzui shook her head. "I'm terribly sorry, but I have to go." She rose to her feet. "I'll see you later, Mizuno-san."   
"Oh, you can call me" suddenly Ami realized that the tall young woman had vanished. "Ami," she finished quietely, looking around her to see if she could find where Shinzui had gone. But there was no trace of the blind girl or her dog. "That's really odd," Ami mused to herself. "I wonder where she"  
Suddenly there was a very loud crash near the front of the library, as if an entire shelf of books had been knocked over. Ami heard a familiar hissing sound,and her blood froze. A _jaki_! In the library! Ami's transformation pen was in her hand before she even stood up. Looking around to make sure no one was there watching, Ami waved the pen in the air. "Mercury Star Power, Makeup!" she cried.  
Streams of light blue water and cascades of bubbles swirled around her as her Sailor fuku miraculously appeared around her, and she fell into her automatic defensive stance as the transformation completed. Sailor Mercury reached for her wrist communicator to call the others for help, but a terrified scream from the front of the room made her decide she'd better do that later. Sprinting towards the front of the library, Sailor Mercury caught sight of the evil spirit with its three twisted horns. It was holding the librarian, its long, sharp fangs embedded in the woman's wrist.  
"Let her go!" Sailor Mercury ordered.  
The _jaki_ looked up to see the blue and white senshi staring at it with a challenge in her eyes. It withdrew its fangs and dumped the lifeless body of the woman on the floor. "Human juice," it hissed, looking greedily at Sailor Mercury. The creature opened its mouth, sending a bolt of black lightning towards the Sailor Scout. Mercury dodged, and the powerful dark energy crashed into a bookshelf behind her, knocking it over with a very loud noise. Rising to her feet, Sailor Mercury could see a group of frightened library patrons huddled together in a corner.  
"Get out of here!" she called to them. "Right now! It's all right."  
Putting herself between the monster and its would-be victims, Mercury pointed a finger straight at the ugly spirit. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" she exclaimed, powering up her shimmering liquid attack and firing it at the creature.  
The _jaki_ attempted to dodge the glimmering blast of water, but tripped over the body of the woman it had just drained. The attack hit it full force, knocking it backwards for a moment and temporarily stunning it. This gave Sailor Mercury the opportunity to quickly escort the group of scared young people safely out the door. But as she turned to face the creature again, she was struck full in the face by one of its dark power bolts. Mercury cried out in pain as the paralyzing power screamed through her body, rendering her completely immobile.  
Sailor Mercury fell to the floor, and the monster grinned wickedly. Its form began to shiver, and turn purple, as Lord Narcissus took over the _jaki_'s body. Strolling over to the quivering Sailor senshi, the lavender-haired Lord smiled mockingly.   
"Well, what have we here," he exulted. "Looks like I've caught myself a Sailor brat."  
It took almost all of Mercury's strength, but she glared at him. Lord Narcissus produced a small knife from the folds of his lavender cape, and brandished it gleefully. "Well, little lady, let's just see if you're the one." He reached out and seized Sailor Mercury's hand, and she was unable to resist him because of the paralyzing effects of the _jaki_'s attack. Lord Narcissus drew the sharp little blade across Mercury's palm, and she would have cried out if she had the voice to cry out with. A line of blood welled up from the cut, a brilliant scarlet color. Lord Narcissus frowned. "Well, it's not you, that's for certain." He raised the knife again. "But it's time for me to get rid of you. One less Sailor Brat to worry about."  
"Stop right there."  
The purple-clad admiral turned to find the owner of the tinkling, sweet voice, and as he moved away, Sailor Mercury could see Sailor Orion seated on top of one of the shelves. The silver-eyed senshi was watching Lord Narcissus with a dangerous glitter in her eyes.  
"I'd be careful if I were you, Narcissus," she warned him, her voice still sounding light and cheerful, a tone which belied the deadly force behind her words. Orion slid off the shelf and landed softly on the library carpet, still keeping her eyes fastened to Lord Narcissus'. "It's not a good idea to go around attacking Sailor Soldiers. Where there is one, there are always more."  
Sailor Mercury summoned up every bit of strength she had, and managed to move one arm over to the other, where she could press the call button on her wrist communicator. She didn't have any strength left after that action to even remain concious, much less call for help. But she hoped that at least one of the other Sailor Scouts would turn on their communicator and see her lying there._ Good thing I told them I was going to the library_ This was her last thought as conciousness left her and she slipped into blackness.  
Lord Narcissus had completely forgotten about Sailor Mercury. "Well, Miss Orion," the admiral said with a cocked eyebrow. "Nice to see you again. The Avatar has been looking forward to having a little chat with you."  
"Has he?" A wickedly amused gleam flashed in the peach-clad scout's eyes. "That's funny, because I have no intention of ever speaking to him again."  
"We're going to find the Dagger first, this time, Sailor Brat. You'll never defeat us. You and your little Sailor friends, and that ridiculous 'Sacred Child' with her three equally ridiculous Guardians all of you are going to be the first sacrifices in the glorious return of the Negaverse!" The amythysts on Lord Narcissus' eyepatch twinkled at her.  
Sailor Orion tilted her head. "You sound terribly confident about that, Narcissus. It will be such a shame to see you disappointed when the Sacred Child's soul returns to seal the gate again." Then she smiled. "Although, at the rate we're going, I'm not sure you're going to get to see it at all." Orion cocked an eyebrow at him. "How about it, Narcissus? I'll even give you a fighting chance. No powers, no tricks. Just you and me." Her smile grew a bit wider. "It's been a long time since I last had the chance to beat up some Negaverse scum the old fashioned way."  
Lord Narcissus snorted. "You want to fight me? Okay, fine. Your funeral."  
Sailor Orion took up a defensive position. "We'll see," was all she responded.  
The two began to circle each other warily. Finally Narcissus struck first, lashing out at Sailor Orion with a well-aimed punch that she dodged under, coming up and landing one of her own in his midsection. Narcissus doubled for a moment as the wind was knocked out of him, but he quickly straighted, trying not to let on that he'd been hurt at all. Sailor Orion just watched him with that halfway mocking smile, and waited. After a few moments he attacked again, this time bringing one fist down over his head. Orion blocked the blow with an unexpected strength, and Narcissus attempted to bring his other fist up underneath to hit her in the midsection as she had just done to him. To his surprise, his fist found only air as Sailor Orion spun around, out of reach, and a moment later her boot connected with his face as she completed a spinning kick that knocked the Negaverse admiral back against the wall. His head struck the bricks of the library wall with a resounding crack that made his vision fuzzy.  
He shook his head to clear it, and moved away from the wall, beginning to circle Sailor Orion again. She was faster and stronger than he had expected. She made no move to attack him, waiting instead for him to come to her. And all the while, her face still carried that little mocking smile. She was actually enjoying this. Lord Narcissus struck again, maneuvering himself this time so that he was behind her in the hopes of striking her back where she might be more vulnerable. But this proved to be another mistake, as Orion raised her foot and landed another kick, backwards this time, in the center of his chest. The five-inch heel on her boot left a welt on Narcissus' perfect, chiseled pectoral muscles. This time Sailor Orion followed up the attack, spinning around to add insult to injury by punching the lavender Lord across the face and then, with the other hand, coming up into his abdomen again. There was a satisfying crack as a couple of ribs broke, and Narcissus gasped in pain. Clutching his side, the admiral backed away from the colossal Sailor Senshi.  
Orion sneered at him. "Had enough yet, Captain Hook?" she inquired mockingly.  
Lord Narcissus glared at her, and straightened, stubbornly ignoring the pain that shot through him with that motion. "Are you kidding? I'm just getting started," he boasted.  
"My, my. Such a stubborn ego," Sailor Orion shook her head, clucking her tongue condescendingly. "You're as bad as the Avatar. Well, all right then. You want a little more? You shall have it."  
For the first time, Orion struck first, a volley of punches and kicks that came with lighting speed. They were so quick and hard that Narcissus could not dodge them fast enough. Sailor Orion rained blows on his head, shoulders, back, abdomen, knees-and finally swung one foot beneath him, knocking Lord Narcissus flat on his back. For a moment, Narcissus could not see anything. The whole world swam in a wash of colors, and every single molecule in his body ached. When his vision finally did clear, Sailor Orion's amused smile was the first thing that came into focus as she bent over him.  
"Well, that was fun," she commented sweetly.   
Narcissus attempted to make a biting reply, but all he could do was moan.   
Sailor Orion's eyes widened innocently. "Are you in pain, dear Narcissus? Perhaps this will help." Suddenly the library was filled with the sound of gentle humming, as Orion's Music Sphere floated up from behind her. "Allow me to heal your wounds."  
Narcissus' one visible eye grew round. "No," he croaked out, remembering the terrible beauty of the melody that had come from that Sphere the last time they met. "You said you said no powers, remember?"  
Sailor Orion gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, all right then. Have it your way." She straightened up to allow Narcissus to stand.  
After several moments of struggle, the lavender-caped admiral managed to regain his footing, and he glared at Orion rebelliously. Orion shook her head.  
"Dear, dear. Are you still going to insist that I beat you into the ground? You're more foolish than I thought."  
"You're forgetting one thing, Miss Orion." This was said in a haughty tone.  
"Oh?"  
"The body you are damaging is not mine." Lord Narcissus pointed this out gleefully. "All I have to do is call another _jaki _and take its body instead. I can stand here and fight you forever, until you exhaust yourself, and then do as I like with you."  
"But the real question is, can you then fight each of us, until we're exhausted?"  
Lord Narcissus spun around to find the source of this new voice. It was Sailor Jupiter, who was standing just inside the door with all seven of the other Sailor Scouts, and Tuxedo Mask as well. Noting the determined looks on each of their faces, and the disturbing way with which Sailor Jupiter was cracking her knuckles, the Negaverse's admiral lost much of his courage.  
He turned back to Sailor Orion, the bruises on his handsome face already causing his skin to turn a shade of purple that perfectly complemented his lavender hair. "This isn't over," he growled at her.  
Orion's silver eyes widened. "Oh, I hope not. I've had fun."  
With another growl, Lord Narcissus' form began to dissolve back into the shiny, wet-looking black skin of the _jaki_. Sailor Orion actually looked at the bruised monster with something akin to pity. "A shame your master is such a coward," she said to the evil spirit, again summoning her sphere. "Those bruises weren't meant for you." The Orion Music Sphere began to glow. "I'm going to put you out of your misery now, poor creature. Heavenly Symphony!"  
As the sweet, life-giving melody swelled through the room, the _jaki _gave a little cry of pain and tossed its head. The three curved horns melted first, soon followed by the rest of it, until the only thing left was a small drop of greasy black liquid that absorbed into the carpet and disappeared.   
"Sailor Mercury!" Sailor Moon cried, as she rushed to her friend's side. "Mercury, are you all right?"  
Sailor Mercury moaned a little as the music of the Sphere poured energy back into her. The cut on her palm suddenly seemed to mend itself, the edges of the parted skin melding together again until no trace of the injury could be seen any more. The blue-haired senshi opened her eyes and sat up slowly. "Sailor Moon! What happened" her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Sailor Orion smiling down at her.  
"I'm glad you are all right, Sailor Mercury." The tinkling sound of her voice was like music. "Your courage should be commended. Singlehandedly you managed to save all the library patrons from that evil spirit." Orion turned to look at the librarian, who was just beginning to revive. "We should all leave before she wakes up," Orion suggested. "Sailor Scouts always did heal faster than the other humans."  
Sailor Uranus caught Orion's arm, and another wave of inexplicable revulsion washed over her, causing her to tighten her grip. "Hang on just a second," Uranus ordered coldly. "You're not going anywhere until you give us some answers."  
Orion looked down at where the tomboyish Sailor senshi gripped her wrist, and then she met Uranus' gray eyes with her own silvery ones, swimming with sadness. "I'm sorry, Uranus," she said very gently. "But now is not the time." She turned and indicated Sailor Moon, who was still bending over Mercury with concern. "If I tell you too much now, the Princess will be in danger. Would you really have me put her in danger just to satisfy your curiosity?"  
Sailor Uranus' gaze flickered over to Sailor Moon, and despite her dislike of Sailor Orion, she had to shake her head. "No."  
Sailor Orion nodded with a melancholic, sweet smile. "I promise, one day soon you will know all that you need to know." Reaching out with one hand, she touched Sailor Uranus' cheek tenderly. "Please, Uranus. I know it is very difficult, but please trust me."  
The deep sadness in Orion's gaze kept Sailor Uranus from wiping the feel of the taller girl's touch from her face. Confusion warred within her as the unreasonable feelings of hate were attacked by a flash of guilt and even pity. Uranus didn't understand it. There was something in her that made her want to feel sorry for Sailor Orion, even as another part of her felt like hitting her. As if she could sense her confused emotions, Sailor Orion's smile grew even sadder.  
"You don't have to fight it, you know," she spoke softly. "It's okay if you don't like me."  
Sailor Uranus dropped her grip on the other girl's arm and stared at her in shock. This gave Orion the chance she needed. Making a slight bow to Sailor Moon, she pressed the peach stone in her bracelet and disappeared.

"So how did your exam go?"  
Ami looked up as Shinzui slid into the chair across the library table from her, and she smiled. "See for yourself." She held out the paper she'd been examining.  
A smile spread across the blind woman's face. "I'm afraid you're just going to have to tell me, Ami-san."  
Ami blushed, remembering that Shinzui, being blind, could not see the grade written at the top of the page. "Oh, I'm sorry I forgot," she apologized. "I got 100%. And my teacher said it was much better. But he didn't know that the only reason I was able to understand these poems finally was because of you."  
Shinzui smiled gently. "But that's not entirely true, Ami-san. I only presented the poem to you in a way that was easier to hear. You still had to listen to it with your heart." She cocked her head. "Whenever you struggle with something like this, you must remember that it does not matter what language the poem is written it. Music is a universal language, something everyone can understand if they open their hearts to it. Keep your heart open, Ami-san, and you'll find that suddenly everything has a meaning."  
Ami nodded. "Thank you, Shinzui-san."  
The older girl nodded sweetly, and then gripped her guide dog's harness yet again. "I have to get to the university now, to teach my class. But if any time you need my help, please don't hesitate to come talk to me." She rose to her feet, but continued to face Ami. "And one more thing. It's true that you are brilliant, and that your gifts in school are extraordinary. But you mustn't allow what you are able to do to define who you are. You are a wonderful person, Ami, just because you're you. Even if you could never study again that would not change." She smiled again. "I'll see you later, Ami-san."  
Ami could not think of an appropriate reply, as the blind girl was led away by her beautiful golden retriever. She smiled to herself, though, as she considered Shinzui's words. "Yes. See you later," she said quietly to the now empty room. She gazed down at the paper in front of her, where the words of Robert Burns' poem stared back up at her. Softly, she began to hum to herself.

[Back to Part Five][1][  
On to Part Seven][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic5.htm
   [2]: fanfic7.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	7. Chibiusa's bond of friendship! Saturn ma...

Part Seven: Chibiusa's bond of friendship! Saturn makes another appearance

Tsukino Chibiusa stared out of the living room window absently, her mind a million miles away. _I wonder how Hotaru is doing._ A butterfly flitted past the bushes, lighting delicately on the petal of one of Ikuko-mommy's large red peonies. Chibiusa smiled a bit at the sight. _Hotaru was like that light and fragile her name even means 'firefly'! I really miss her. I wonder if I'll get to see her again soon. But she's a baby now, and _Chibiusa sighed deeply. _Sailor Saturn came to us after Sailor Orion first appeared, and I got to see her for just a minute. But it's not the same. I want things back the way they used to be, visiting her house, playing games in her bedroom, walking her home from school; I have other friends now, but none of them quite like Hotaru_  
"Chibiusa-chan! Chibiusa-chan! Shinzui-san is here for your piano lesson!" Usagi announced brightly, coming into the living room. She caught sight of her future daughter staring blanky out the window, a far-away expression in her eyes. Usagi could guess what the child was thinking about. "Chibiusa-chan" she breathed softly, and then went to sit next to the pink-haired little girl. She put her hand on Chibiusa's shoulder tenderly. "You still miss her, don't you?"  
Chibiusa looked up, startled from her reverie by Usagi's touch. Her russet eyes met Usagi's understanding blue ones for a moment, and she nodded. "I'm never going to find another friend like Hotaru, Usagi-chan. And even though she's a baby now I don't get to see her. I mean, what am I supposed to do, march up to Tomoe-san and say 'hey, I was your daughter's best friend before the evil Messiah of Silence took over her body and the whole world was nearly destroyed, and now I'd like to spend some time with her'?" The unhappy girl shook her head. "He'd just think I'm crazy. I mean, the whole idea of someone who used to be almost six years older than me now being reborn as a baby? Sometimes" her gaze returned to the butterfly as it left the flower petals and floated across the lawn and out of sight. "Sometimes I think I must be crazy."  
"You are not," Usagi declared firmly, placing both hands on Chibiusa's shoulders now and turning her future daughter to face her. "Listen, Chibiusa-chan. You and Hotaru were very special friends. It doesn't matter how old you are, that friendship is never going to go away. You told me yourself that the last time you saw Hotaru, she reached out for you and giggled and seemed to recognize you, baby or not. And didn't Sailor Saturn tell you herself that she would never forget you, and that she'd be waiting for you?" Usagi ruffled the pink bangs in a rare moment of maternal instinct. "You're friends, Chibiusa, always. And you'll be together again. Wait and see."  
Chibiusa looked up at her future mother's face, and her expression once again filled with hope. "_Arigatou_, Usagi-chan," she whispered, and then hugged Usagi so tightly that Usagi could barely breathe.  
"You're welcome, Small Lady," Usagi replied gently as she returned the hug. She had never called her child that before, but it seemed appropriate now. Then she pulled back. "Well, Shinzui-san is waiting for you. Ready for your lesson yet?"  
Chibiusa nodded, and leapt to her feet with a grin to greet her music teacher in the hall. "Shinzui-san!" she cried with delight, wrapping her little arms around one of the young blind woman's legs, and gazing up at her adoringly. Then she turned to pet the golden retriever's soft fur. "Hi, Centauri."  
Usagi had to shake her head as she watched. Chibiusa was such a puzzle, even for her, the girl's future mother. One minute she was speaking disturbingly like a grownup, sounding even more mature than any of the other Scouts, and the next she was back to being a little kid. Usagi just couldn't figure her out. Maybe it had something to do with her royal upbringing in the future Crystal Tokyo; Usagi made a mental note to pay attention, when she became Neo-Queen Serenity, to exactly how it was she was raising her daughter.  
"I've been practicing every day, just like you said," Chibiusa informed her teacher.   
"That's very good, Chibiusa," Shinzui responded with a smile. "Come on, then, let's see how you're doing." She followed the little girl into the living room.  
"I'll be back in a little while," Usagi called towards them, heading for the front door.   
Chibiusa turned to stare at her future mother in surprise. "You're not staying? But I thought" Then she shook her head. If Usagi wanted to go, that was more than all right with her. After all, that meant she would get to have her lesson without her future mother's interference. "Uh where are you going?"  
Usagi's eyes clouded for a minute. "There's just there's someone I need to talk to." Deliberately she regained her composure and put on a pleasant smile. "Have fun with your lesson, Chibiusa-chan. See you later!" With that she opened the door and skipped down the walk and out the front gate.  
Chibiusa shrugged. At least Usagi wouldn't bother them this time. She turned back to Shinzui. "Wanna hear me play the song you told me to practice?" She pulled out her sheet music and turned her attention to the piano.  
Shinzui was silent for a minute, her head still inclined in the direction Usagi had disappeared. She had caught a strange note in Usagi's voice, and she knew that something was going on. _I wonder_ But she had no time to finish the thought as Chibiusa tugged sharply on her sleeve. She looked down at her young pupil and refocused on the lesson. She'd have to puzzle over Usagi's actions later.

Michiru answered the door, her hair pulled back into a casual ponytail. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, very uncharacteristic clothing for the normally fashion-concious Elegant Soldier. A look of surprise crossed her face. "Usagi-chan! Is everything all right?"  
"I was hoping you could tell me," Usagi responded. The expression on the usually cheerful Sailor leader's face was so serious that Michiru knew everything was not all right.  
"Please, come in," she invited her, escorting Usagi into the small apartment that she shared with Haruka. "Haruka's not here. She left early this morning to go driving somewhere."   
"I know. I saw her pass my street this morning." Usagi took a seat in the window, and Michiru couldn't help blinking in surprise. That was Haruka's favorite spot, right there in the corner of the window seat, where she could look down into the street and watch the cars going by.   
Shaking her head slightly, Michiru sat on the window seat next to Usagi. "What is it, Usagi-chan?" she inquired, her aqua eyes apprehensive.  
"Michiru-san, I need you to tell me what's going on with Haruka-san." Usagi fastened her gaze to Michiru with such clarity that the older girl was surprised at the sudden impulse that possessed her , telling her to bow before the dumpling-haired girl.  
She really is going to make a great queen, Michiru thought to herself. But still, she tried to avoid the question, not knowing if Haruka would appreciate her telling Usagi everything that had been going on. "What do you mean, Usagi-chan? Nothing's going on."  
Usagi didn't say a word. She just kept those incredible crystalline eyes locked on Michiru's face, and she waited. Finally Michiru sighed, knowing that like it or not, she was going to have to tell her the truth. "You're talking about what happened at the Scout meeting." Usagi inclined her head in a regal nod, and waited for Michiru to continue.  
Michiru took a deep breath. "All right, Usagi-chan. I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to say anything to Haruka about this. She's having a hard enough time already." Again that regal nod. Michiru paused for a minute, trying to figure out where the best place was to start. "Haruka's been experiencing some disturbing feelings lately. First, it was about that blind girl, Giseino Shinzui. Even though we scarcely know her, every time Haruka comes into contact with her, she gets these inexplicable feelings of hatred for her."  
Usagi's eyes widened. "For Shinzui-san?" She shook her head. "But Shinzui-san's never done anything That doesn't sound like Haruka at all."  
Michiru nodded. "That's exactly it, Usagi-chan. There's no reason for Haruka to dislike her, and Haruka knows it. But she can't get rid of the negative feelings, every time we get anywhere near Shinzui. Not only that, but now now she's experiencing those same feelings every time we see Sailor Orion."  
Usagi pondered this for a minute. "Well that would explain why she reacted the way she did at the Sailor Scout meeting. And is that why she's been so quiet lately? She hardly talks to any of us now."  
Michiru's aquamarine eyes filled with worry. "I think she's scared, Usagi-chan."  
"Scared? Haruka?" Usagi shook her head, trying to picture something that could frighten the impervious athlete. She couldn't think of anything.  
But Michiru nodded again. "I know. I didn't think anything would be able to scare her either. But" Michiru sighed. "Haruka has always had this dark side to her. This part of her that is cold. Sadistic, even. She'd never tell you this herself, but she actually enjoys fighting. She enjoys inflicting pain on her enemies. And I think she struggles with her internal demons even more than she lets me know." The teal-haired girl shook her head. "It's like there's this part of her she won't even let me see. And I think she's afraid that this dark side is where these powerful feelings of hate are coming from." Her aqua gaze met Usagi's again. "I think she's afraid that maybe her darker feelings are taking over. That she might start hurting those she loves."  
Usagi stared at Michiru in horror. "No wonder she wouldn't tell me about it." Then she took on a determined expression. "So, what do we do?"  
Michiru's eyes darkened. "I don't know. Haruka's even starting to shut me out, too. I'm worried for her, Usagi-chan. I think she's starting to believe she's crazy." The girl looked down at the floor. "Haruka is my best friend, Usagi-chan. More than a best friend; she's like a sister, a soul-mate. I love her with all my heart, and I'd do anything for her. But this I don't know how to fight this. And neither does she."  
Usagi put her hand on Michiru's shoulder. "Don't worry, Michiru-san." Her voice was full of quiet conviction, and Michiru met her crystal blue eyes again. "Haruka is our friend, and a fellow Sailor Soldier. We won't let anyone or anything take her from us."  
Michiru stared at the Sailor Leader. For a moment, despite the school uniform and dumplings, Michiru could see, not Tsukino Usagi, but the form of their future queen looking back at her, regarding her with resolute determination. "I believe you," Michiru nodded, covering Usagi's fingers with her own. Then she rose to her feet. "Well, Haruka's not here and I was starting to get lonely. Would you like a cup of tea and some hotcakes?"   
Usagi's eyes lit up as her old personality reasserted itself. "Would I?!" she exclaimed eagerly. Michiru grinned at her and went to the kitchen to boil water for the tea. Spending some time alone with Usagi might be good for both of them; they rarely had such opportunities to just sit and get to know one another. Humming quietly, Michiru put the teakettle on the stove.  


"That's enough for today, I think," Shinzui finally decided, laying a hand on Chibiusa's shoulder with concern. The girl had seemed unusually distracted today, and Shinzui could sense that something was bothering her.  
"Chibiusa-chan. How would you like me to take you to the park this afternoon?"  
Chibiusa looked up at her music teacher in surprise. "But you don't have the time, do you?"  
Shinzui smiled at the child. "Sure I do. And both Centauri and I could use a little fresh air. What do you say?"  
Chibiusa's reaction was not as enthusiastic as usual, but the little girl nodded. "All right. But wait-I have to leave a note for Ikuko-mommy and Usagi, in case they come home and wonder where I am."  
Shinzui nodded. "Yes, that would be a good idea," she agreed. Chibiusa ran to fetch some paper and a pencil, and scribbled a quick message on it, which she then taped to the refrigerator.   
"That way Usagi's sure to see it," Chibiusa explained mischievously, and Shinzui smiled at her, already aware of Usagi's infamous eating habits. Then Chibiusa took Shinzui's hand, and the two of them, plus the large guide dog, left the house and made their way down the street towards the park.  
Shinzui felt Chibiusa stop suddenly, and she tugged on Centauri's harness. The retriever also stopped then, and turned expectantly to wait for his mistress. "Chibiusa, is something wrong?" Shinzui knew exactly where they were; they were about half-way to the park, and she could tell by the sounds of children's laughter that they were standing right outside the chain-link fence that surrounded the playground of the Sunshine Daycare Center. Shinzui knelt down, and could tell by the position of Chibiusa's body that the child was staring through the fence at someone or something on the playground. "Chibiusa?" she inquired again, quietly.  
There was still no response as Chibiusa gazed at the playground. There, sitting in the sandbox waving a little plastic shovel, was a dark-haired, violet-eyed baby that Chibiusa knew all too well. "Hotaru-chan" the pink headed girl breathed. 

The baby heard her name and looked up. As soon as she caught sight of Chibiusa, baby Hotaru cooed and giggled, and began to crawl on her hands and knees towards the fence. The baby wrapped her short, chubby fingers around the chain links, and Chibiusa reached out, almost mesmerized, to touch Hotaru's hand.  
Shinzui, sensing the baby's approach, also reached out to touch the little fingers that stretched towards them. As soon as she made contact with the baby's hand, understanding filled her and a smile appeared on her face. _Well, what do you know? They always told me the Soldier of Destruction was close to the Princess' daughter. No wonder Chibiusa stopped for her. _ Shinzui turned to Centauri, whom she knew also recognized the infant, and she smiled at him. Centauri leaned forward and licked baby Hotaru's hand, and was awarded with a giggle from the child.  
"Hotaru! Hotaru, come away from the fence!" One of the daycare workers approached them, and picked the baby up. Hotaru fussed and stretched her hands toward Chibiusa. The woman frowned down at the pink-haired, dumpling-headed little girl on the other side of the fence. "I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to interact with the children."  
Shinzui rose to her feet, and for a moment the child care worker stared at the six foot tall blind girl with an open mouth. "It's all right," Shinzui said gently to the woman. "I'm Giseino Shinzui. The director of your center is a good friend of mine."  
The worker cocked her head, but her face took on a slightly more friendly expression. "Well, if that's true, then I suppose it's okay. Why don't you two come inside and talk to the director? If he says it's all right, then maybe we could let you play with Hotaru for a little while. Her father usually doesn't come to pick her up until around five-thirty, after his physical therapy."  
Chibiusa looked up at Shinzui with pleading eyes. "Please, Shinzui-san? Can we?"  
Shinzui smiled at her. "Sure we can, Chibiusa." She looked up at the woman holding Hotaru. The baby was still reaching for Chibiusa and fussing at being held away from her. "We'll be right in," she said. Taking Chibiusa's hand in one of her own and holding Centauri's harness with the other, Shinzui led them all around to the front of the builing and in the front door.  
No sooner had they stepped inside than Shinzui was greeted by a very tall man, even taller than Shinzui herself, who was dressed in a simple white suit with a brilliant red gemstone pinned to his lapel. His hair was white, like snow, and Chibiusa found herself staring with awe at this man, who seemed imposing and yet whose ruby eyes glowed with kindness. He looked about forty or so, but the more Chibiusa looked at him, the harder it was to tell. He seemed ageless, in a way. The man spoke, and his majestic voice sounded like a waterfall, full of strength and power.  
"Shinzui-chan. It is a pleasure to see you again." He reached out to her and planted a kiss on her forehead.  
"Hello, Neophilus. How are things going for you?"  
"Slowly." The tall man fastened his ruby eyes upon Shinzui, and it seemed to Chibiusa that there might be some sort of double meaning to his words. She looked from one to the other, feeling a bit confused.   
Shinzui indicated the child standing next to her. "Neophilus, this is a student of mine and also a friend. Her name is Chibiusa."  
The man named Neophilus knelt down where he could look at the little girl face to face. "Hello, Chibiusa. It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand, and Chibiusa reached out to shake it. At her touch, recognition filled his eyes, and he looked up at Shinzui for a moment, then over at Centauri. The dog nodded almost imperceptibly. _Yes. It is the Princess' daughter. _Neophilus smiled and straightened again. "I assume you are here to visit Tomoe Hotaru," he said to them, and Chibiusa stared at him in shock.  
"How did you know that?" she wanted to know.  
Neophilus turned his smile upon her again. "Magic," he responded mysteriously, and his ruby eyes twinkled so that Chibiusa had to giggle.  
"Only if it's all right, Neophilus," Shinzui affirmed quietly. "We don't want to disturb your classes."   
"Nonsense," the man with the rumbling voice replied cheerfully. "You never disturb us, Shinzui-chan. Though I daresay the children will not let you leave until you've sung for them."  
Shinzui smiled back. "Thank you, Neophilus."  
"Come now," Neophilus declared, offering an arm to Shinzui and a hand to Chibiusa. "I know Hotaru will be delighted to see you." Chibiusa looked up at him again curiously, and the big man just winked at her before leading them all down the hall towards the playground.

The ground surrounding the black monument trembled as a scream of fury exploded from the hole in space above it.  
"Those meddlesome Sailor brats stopped me AGAIN!!!" Lord Narcissus did not sound very pleased, and even the smooth stone of the monument shook with the force of his rage. "I've had it! I want to kill them! Every last one! I want them dead, dead, DEAD!!! Especially little Miss Orion. I'll get even with all of them if it's the last thing I do!" There was silence for a moment as the Negaverse admiral regained his breath. "But first first I have to find that Dagger. Otherwise the Avatar may not let me live long enough to take my revenge. _Jaki_, where are you? Come out now!"  
The oily, black substance oozing around the edges of the slowly expanding tear responded to the command by gathering into a droplet that fell, sizzling, onto the black stone below. Expanding and swelling, the liquid solidified onto a definite, monstrous shape, an evil spirit possessing three pairs of black wings, one on its back and one on each of its ankles. The _jaki _rose to its feet, hissing menacingly.  
"_Jaki_ here."  
"Listen to me," Narcissus' disembodied, icy voice emanated from the other side of the hole. "I want that Silver Dagger, and I want it now. But the larger humans are proving to be difficult to catch and drain. I want you to target the little humans. The ones who aren't as strong and can't get away as fast. You should be able to drain several at a time, and we'll be able to find the Dagger much faster."  
The monster nodded and licked its swollen lips. "Little human juice," it gurgled with anticipation. "I go now."  
"Yes, go. And _jaki_--" The dark creature turned back. "Make sure you don't fail me."  
The evil spirit nodded, and flew up into the sky, flapping its great black wings. Rolling into a ball in midair, the _jaki _fell back to earth and bounced three times. On the final bounce, the glistening, greasy-looking ball soared towards the clouds, tracing an arched path through the heavens on its way to the city skyline.

Chibiusa giggled as the baby on her lap waved her chubby fingers and tried to stick her entire fist in her mouth at once. "No, no, silly. Fingers aren't for eating." Gently she moved baby Hotaru's hand away and redirected it towards a stuffed animal instead. Hotaru seized the soft fur of the pink and purple stuffed rabbit and proceeded to direct one of the toy's ears into her mouth. Chibiusa giggled again.  
Shinzui smiled at the contented, gleeful sounds coming from the two girls in the corner. "They really do seem to be close, don't they?" she commented to the giant man standing behind her.  
Neophilus nodded. "Indeed they are. Those two have been best friends for millenia."  
A faraway expression entered the blind woman's face. "I wish I wish I could have seen it. This the first time I've ever even met her."  
Neophilus laid a hand on Shinzui's shoulder. "I know. But one day, child-one day you will be able to spend all the time you want with her. With all of them."  
Shinzui shook her head. "I believe that, Neophilus. I do. But sometimes" she paused for a moment, listening as another happy chuckle came from the girls' direction. "Sometimes it's so hard to be patient."  
The big man with ruby eyes squeezed Shinzui's shoulder gently in sympathy. She reached up to take his hand, and smiled softly. At that moment, however, her sweet smile dissolved into an expression of worry, and the blind woman's entire body stiffened noticeably. Centauri rose to his feet in alarm.  
"Shinzui, what?" Neophilus began, but he didn't have to finish as he recognized the look on her face. "They're coming, aren't they?"  
Shinzui nodded, and turned towards him. "Quickly, Neophilus. We must get the children away from here."  
Neophilus looked over at the pink-haired girl and the infant in her lap. "What about them?"  
"The others first. Chibiusa-chan can take care of Hotaru. I'll come back for them." Shinzui rose, gripping Centauri's harness. "Come, Centauri. We don't have much time."  
With another uncertain glance backward towards the two girls playing in the corner, Neophilus followed the young blind woman out of the room. After all, she'd been in this sort of situation more times than he could count, and he trusted her judgement completely.  
Chibiusa looked up as the two adults left. _That's strange. I wonder where they're going? _Then she looked down at Hotaru, who grinned back up at her happily and kicked her little baby feet, and she smiled back, forgetting about the grown-ups in her pleasure at being reunited with her best friend. "I've missed you, Hotaru-chan," she said to the infant, tickling the tiny nose.   
"Put him down! What are you AAAAHHHH!! Somebody, help, please!"  
Chibiusa looked up as the shrieks of terror sounded from the hallway. The dumpling-headed girl frowned and stood up, balancing Hotaru on one hip. She started towards the door to investigate, but she only took about two steps before she discovered the source of the disturbance. A _jaki_, carrying two small children, poked its head into the room. When it caught sight of Chibiusa and baby Hotaru, an ugly grin spread across its face.  
"Human juice!" the thing hissed eagerly, and it dropped the motionless bodies of the three-year-olds it had just drained.  
For a moment, Chibiusa stood frozen by the sight of the helpless babies lying lifeless on the floor. Then she realized that the monster intended to do the same thing to Hotaru, and that caused her to snap out of it and take action. Still holding the baby, Chibiusa clutched at her little transformation brooch.   
"Moon Prism Power!" she called out.  
For a moment time seemed to stand still as the pink beams of power swirled around the littlest senshi, shimmering into place as her sugar-pink and white _fuku _appeared. Sailor ChibiMoon's Moon Stick materialized in her hand, and she held it out defensively.  
The jaki had paused for a moment, a bit confused. It hadn't expected a human so small to be one of the Sailor Soldiers. Still, it wanted the baby that this Sailor Scout was holding, and it took another step forward.   
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" Sailor ChibiMoon cried. _Please, Moon Stick. Please work this time Hotaru-chan needs you. _Her rather unreliable Moon Stick could be tempermental at times, and ChibiMoon was afraid it might do the same now. But she needn't have worried; the Stick seemed to sense the danger of the situation, and it responded immediately, sending out its stream of little pink hearts that began to bop the creature in the face continuously.  
The jaki snarled and waved the hearts away like so many irritating gnats. It opened its mouth and sent a bolt of black lighting towards Sailor ChibiMoon and the baby.  
ChibiMoon ducked, cradling Hotaru against her, and rolled into a somersault to avoid the attack. The negative energy crashed into the bulletin board behind them, and instantly dissolved a series of children's watercolor paintings that had been posted there for display. Desparate, Sailor ChibiMoon switched on her wrist communicator.  
"Usagi, are you there? Usagi?!!"  
A second later, Usagi's cheerful face crackled into view on the little screen. "Hey, Chibiusa-chan! Is your piano lesson done already?"  
"Shut up and listen," Sailor ChibiMoon snapped, causing her future mother's expression to darken. But Usagi didn't get the chance to retaliate, because ChibiMoon continued in a rush of words. "There's a _jaki _at the Sunshine Daycare Center. It's draining the children, and right now it's after Hotaru. Get over here now!" Sailor ChibiMoon switched the communicator off, not even waiting for a reply, and then dodged again as another dark burst of power came towards them.  
"Ouch!" she cried as she banged her head on the edge of the tray beneath the chalkboard. She looked down to check on the baby. "Are you all right, Hotaru-chan?"  
The infant looked back up at her, violet eyes wide. Then Hotaru screamed indignantly as the_ jaki_'s long, dark arm reached for her. She had decided she didn't like this ugly winged thing that was attacking her friend, and her deep purple eyes began to glow with a strange power. As the creature stretched its clawed hand towards the baby, a burst of positive energy radiated from her. It enveloped the evil spirit, lifting it off the floor and tossing it backwards against the wall with a force that left ChibiMoon staring wide-eyed at her tiny friend.   
"Hotaru-chan! How did you do that?" she gasped in surprise. Baby Hotaru just giggled back at her. "Come on. Let's get out of here." Sailor ChibiMoon turned towards the door.  
"LOOK OUT!!" Suddenly ChibiMoon felt herself carried off the floor, and for a minute the whole world turned upside down as Sailor Orion appeared out of nowhere and rolled both of the smaller girls out of the way.  
"What on earth?" ChibiMoon began, twisting around to look at Sailor Orion.  
At that moment, a ball of sparkling lavender energy struck the peach and black senshi in the back, and Sailor Orion grunted with the pain. Her entire body went numb, as the negative energy invaded her muscles and slowly, painfully began to drain her energy, little by little.  
Sailor ChibiMoon could hear cold laughter behind them. _Lord Narcissus! _she realized, recognizing the sound. _He must have taken the jaki's body when I turned around! _"Sailor Orion! Are you all right?" she inquired with concern.  
Orion shook her head. "Don't worry about me," she managed to gasp out as the paralyzing negative energy made it difficult to breathe. "You must get Hotaru away. Go." The musical-voiced senshi struggled to her feet, putting herself between Sailor ChibiMoon and Narcissus.  
ChibiMoon shook her head. "We can't just leave you here alone. You're hurt."  
Sailor Orion, still doubled over with the pain, looked up at her. "You must, Sailor ChibiMoon. I'll be fine. Get her out."  
"But" ChibiMoon began to protest.  
"GO!!!" Orion barked harshly, with as much strength as she could muster. ChibiMoon's russet eyes widened with surprise, and she turned to run towards the door. But just as she reached it, the door slammed shut in her face. Sailor ChibiMoon tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. She spun around to face Lord Narcissus, who smiled mockingly at the two Sailor Soldiers.  
"Nice try, Miss Orion. But I want that baby." His lavender gaze flicked over to Hotaru. "She has some unsusal abilities I think she may be what we're looking for."  
Orion grimaced again as another wave of pain ran through her, but she straightened up as much as she could, and again put herself between Narcissus and the infant Hotaru. "I'm not going to let you touch her, Narcissus. You're going to have to kill me first."  
Narcissus cocked a pale purple eyebrow. "If you say so." He raised his fist, and another ball of lavender lightning struck Sailor Orion in the abdomen, causing the colassal soldier to crumple to the floor.   
The pain was terrible, but she'd endured worse. Forcing herself to remain concious-that was the key. She couldn't allow herself to black out, not until she could be sure that the baby and the Princess' future daughter were safe. And the best way to ensure that she didn't pass out was to focus on the pain. Grunting again, Orion opened her eyes to see Lord Narcissus heading towards ChibiMoon and the baby.  
"I don't think so," she hissed deliberately, and again rose to her feet, forcing her body to obey her, and concentrating on feeling every single nuance of the pain that ripped through her arms and legs as she made them move.  
Narcissus stared at her with something akin to surprise. "Well, I'll say this for you, Miss Orion. You sure are persistent. You ought to be dead by now."  
Sailor Orion sneered at him, even through the pain. "I already told you once, Narcissus. I'm not that easy to kill." She took up as much of a defensive stance as she could manage. Closing her eyes and concentrating, she attempted to summon her Music Sphere; but it was as she feared. She did not have enough energy to call on its power. Lord Narcissus' attacks had taken too great a toll.   
Narcissus shook his head condescendingly. "What's the matter? Having a little trouble summoning that noisemaker of yours? My power is sapping your strength little by little; you'll never be able to defeat me this time. Which reminds me I owe you something." He raised his hand, and struck Orion across the face, hard. This caused her to lose the tenous balance she'd been fighting to maintain, and the Sailor Senshi fell to her knees.  
"Stop it! Stop it!" Sailor ChibiMoon wailed, watching helplessly as the other girl took all the blows and attacks for her and the baby.   
Narcissus looked up at the little pink-headed scout and grinned cruelly. "Oh, don't worry, Sailor brat. Your turn is coming. But first" he glared down at the kneeling Sailor Orion. "I have a score to settle with this one." His arm went up again.  
"Please, stop," Sailor ChibiMoon whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. She'd never seen a Sailor Soldier die before, and she didn't want to watch it now. But she couldn't help opening her eyes, just a little, to check on Hotaru. The baby's eyes were disturbingly vacant. "Hotaru-chan, are you all right? Hotaru?!!" The infant didn't respond.   
But a very familiar voice suddenly echoed through the classroom. "Death Reborn Revolution!"  
The power that could destroy planets-the ultimate power of destruction-sent straight at the menacing Negaverse admiral as he prepared to deliver the final blow to Sailor Orion. Lord Narcissus looked up just one instant before Sailor Saturn's Silence Glaive directed this attack at him. His form shimmered as he quickly abandoned the body of the _jaki_, letting his mindless servant take the blow for him.  
The evil spirit didn't even have time to howl in pain. One minute it was standing there, flapping its three sets of wings threateningly, and the next it wasn't. The _jaki_ was gone, just like that. And so was Lord Narcissus-he had managed to escape, yet again. All that remained was a black puddle of oily liquid that absorbed into the carpet of the classroom in a matter of moments.  
Sailor Orion didn't have the strength to contemplate the loss of the admiral; as soon as she was certain Sailor ChibiMoon and Hotaru were safe, she gave in to the blessed darkness that had been pleading with her to embrace it. She had used up every last bit of her energy and then some; and the exertion was enough to almost kill her. The pain finally numbed as everything went black.  
"Sailor Orion!" Sailor ChibiMoon cried as the pale haired senshi collapsed.   
"It's all right, Chibiusa-chan." ChibiMoon's head snapped up. There in front of the chalkboard, stood the transluscent apparition of the Soldier of Destruction.  
"Sailor Saturn," Sailor ChibiMoon breathed in amazement.  
The delicate violet Sailor Scout glided over to Sailor Orion's side, and she knelt beside the collapsed soldier. Taking Orion's head onto her lap, Sailor Saturn placed one pale hand over the injured Sailor's heart, and the other on her forehead. Closing her eyes, Saturn began to concentrate. A warm, healing glow emanated from her fingertips and spread through Sailor Orion's body, restoring her strength and energy, and cleansing the effects of the negative attacks. After a few seconds, Orion began to breathe again, at first raggedly, but then gradually it became smoother. Her eyes fluttered open.  
"Sailor Saturn," she whispered softly as the gentle Scout's face came into focus above her. Then her silvery eyes took on determination again as she realized that the fragile Soldier was expending her own limited energy to heal her. Orion knew how much energy it was costing the small Sailor to just manifest herself without a body; she didn't even want to think about how much Saturn was using up on her account. "Enough," Orion stated. When Sailor Saturn, ignoring her protests, continued to pour her healing powers into her, Sailor Orion took the smaller senshi's hands gently and pulled them off of her, breaking the connection. "Enough," she repeated firmly.  
Saturn's violet eyes opened. "But you're still weak," she observed with sweet concern.   
Sailor Orion grimaced as she sat up. "I'll be fine. With a little rest, I can regain the rest of my strength on my own. But you shouldn't exhaust yourself on my account." The Soldier of Sacrifice glanced up towards Sailor ChibiMoon, still clutching the baby's inanimate form, and she smiled. "Your time with us is limited, Sailor Saturn and before all your energy is gone, there's someone else who would like to say hello."  
Sailor Saturn turned to see Sailor ChibiMoon staring at her. A sweet smile spread over her face. "Sailor ChibiMoon," she said, standing up and going over to her.   
Orion struggled to stand as the two other girls began to quietly converse together. Her legs were still weak; she could scarcely control them. But she was standing. Sailor Orion began to wonder if maybe she shouldn't have stopped Saturn from completely healing her; she knew from lifetimes of experience that it was going to take quite a while before her full strength would return. But as she watched the two overjoyed friends talk together in the corner, she knew she'd done the right thing. Orion's gaze then fell to the bodies of the two unconcious children, and her heart sank.  
_ I don't have the strength to heal them_, she realized, tears springing to her eyes. _But I have to try. _She stumbled over to them, and fell to her knees next to their tiny forms. She closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could. _Please, Music Sphere. Please help me help them._ But the Orion Sphere would not come. She couldn't summon it; she was too weak. Stubbornly, Sailor Orion squeezed her eyes even tighter and tried again. "Please, please," she whispered, pleading with her own powers to respond.  
Just then, Sailor Moon and Sailor Neptune burst through the door, closely followed by Neophilus. Sailor Moon stopped short when she saw the tears on Sailor Orion's face as she tried again, desparately, to summon the power she needed to heal the children.  
"Sailor Orion!" she exclaimed, going over to her immediately, with Neophilus right behind her. "What's the matter?"  
"I can't do it," came the response, so quiet that Sailor Moon could barely hear her. "I don't have enough strength." The anguish in her melodical voice tore at Sailor Moon's heart.   
"It'll be all right," Sailor Moon tried to comfort her. "I can help"  
Orion shook her head, her pale hair dancing and her starry eyes glistening with tears. "No. Not even your Healing Escalation can bring life back to these children. I have to do it. I have to."  
At that moment, Neophilus came up behind Sailor Orion, and laid both of his huge hands on her shoulders. "Orion," he said, and Sailor Moon stared up at the giant man, startled at the majestic power of his voice. Sailor Orion stared at the floor despondently, and could not bring herself to look into those ruby eyes, compassionate though they were. Neophilus leaned forward and spoke softly so that only she could hear. "Have you forgotten, my child? Strength is my specialty."  
With that statement, Orion suddenly felt power pouring from his hands, filling her, restoring her. Her blood began to warm and her heart began to sing again as the energy she so desparately needed flowed, rich and strong, through her veins. Neophilus straightened up now, and spoke in a voice loud enough for the others to hear.  
"Sailor Orion, I believe you have the power to help these children. Have faith. Try again."  
Orion gazed up at him for a moment, gratitude written all over her tear-streaked face. Then she looked down at the two tiny bodies in front of her. She closed her eyes, and summoned her Sphere.  
"Heavenly Symphony!"  
Orion's sweet melody swelled through the room, and as it did, everyone present began to feel the energy and envigoration that the music of the spheres invariably brought with it. Color began to return to the little white faces and hands of the drained babies. Sailor Orion closed her eyes and breathed deeply in relief as her song worked its magic. The energy Neophilus had given her was almost entirely used up with the effort it took to summon the Orion Music Sphere, and she was just as weak now as she had been a few minutes ago; but she didn't mind. Everything would be all right now.   
It was only then that Sailor Moon and Sailor Neptune looked up and noticed the ghostlike apparition of Sailor Saturn, who was conversing quietly with Sailor ChibiMoon in the corner.  
"Sailor Saturn!" Sailor Moon gasped in surprise, going over to them. "How on earth?" She looked down at the vacant-eyed baby in Sailor ChibiMoon's arms. "But that's Hotaru-chan that's you! How can you be two places at once?"  
Sailor Saturn smiled in that sweet, melancholic way. "I'm not exactly sure, myself. I think I think I may be the projection that Tomoe Hotaru has manifested in order to protect her friends."  
Sailor Moon cocked her head thoughtfully. "I suppose Like when Mamo-chan lost his memories and projected the Moonlight Knight to protect me and the other Sailor Scouts." She nodded, satisfied with this explanation. "But what happened?" she wanted to know. "ChibiMoon said there was a _jaki_."  
"The _jaki _is gone now," Saturn said softly. "I was able to destroy it. But if it had not been for Sailor Orion's courage, I would not have been able to appear. She took the attacks meant for Sailor ChibiMoon and Tomoe Hotaru, and neither would be alive if it were not for her. She nearly died for our sakes."  
Sailor Moon turned to look at the barely revived Sailor Soldier, who had been helped to her feet by Neophilus and was now leaning heavily on the huge man's arms.  
"Forgive me, Princess," Sailor Orion apologized, looking at the floor.  
"Forgive you? What on earth for?"  
"I I do not have the strength to bow before you this day." Sailor Orion looked up then, meeting Sailor Moon's blue eyes with her own achingly honest gaze.  
Sailor Moon's mouth fell open. "You save my daughter's life, and Hotaru's life too; you nearly get yourself killed in the process; and you apologize to me? Sailor Orion, I've never asked you to bow to me, and after what you did today, if you never bow to me again that's perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned."  
Sailor Orion shook her head, and her smile was mysterious. "I will always bow to you, Princess. Always. No matter what I do for you, no matter how many times I risk my life or even give up my life for you and your family, I could never hope to repay you for everything you've given me. If it weren't for you" Then she paused as she realized she was saying too much. She looked up to meet Neophilus' ruby eyes, and a smile touched her lips. She raised her bracelet to leave. "I'm sorry. I should go now."  
"Wait." Sailor Moon placed a gloved hand on Orion's wrist, and met her eyes searchingly. "Please, finish what you were going to say. What did I ever do to deserve the loyalty you show me?"  
Sailor Orion debated, for a moment, whether or not she should say any more. But the expression on her beloved Princess' face was so earnest, she could not refuse this time. Her silver-gray eyes softened, and her smile grew even more gentle. "You gave me life, Princess Serenity. You gave me part of your own life." Her response, so sweet and musical, was still mysterious to Sailor Moon.  
"I don't remember," Sailor Moon mused.   
"That's all right." Sailor Orion met her eyes with another mysterious smile. "I can remember for both of us." She inclined her head towards Sailor Moon, the closest thing to a bow that she could muster in her weakened condition. "Until next time, Princess." Sailor Orion depressed the stone in her bracelet, and was gone.  
"I'm afraid I, too, must leave," Sailor Saturn said quietly, turning to Sailor ChibiMoon. "I do not have enough energy to remain in this form much longer."  
Sailor ChibiMoon nodded, though her russet eyes were bright with tears. "I will see you again," she stated, although it sounded more like a question than something she was sure of .  
"Yes, you will. And thank you. For coming to see me today." Saturn looked down meaningfully at the baby ChibiMoon still held. Her smile was sweet. "I hope you will come again."  
ChibiMoon nodded determinedly. "I'll come all the time, I promise."  
Saturn's eyes lit. "Then, good-bye. For now." Her faint form began to fade even more, and in a moment, she was gone. After a few seconds, baby Hotaru's clouded eyes cleared and focused again, and the infant giggled as she realized who was holding her.   
ChibiMoon touched the baby's face tenderly. "Welcome back, Hotaru-chan." Then she looked up as Neophilus came up to her, and carefully took Hotaru from her.   
The giant man smiled down at the littlest of the scouts. "It's time for me to feed her," he explained quietly. "And those two as well." He indicated the three-year-olds, now completely recovered, thanks to Sailor Orion's efforts. "By the way, if you happen to see Shinzui's little friend Chibiusa anywhere--" Sailor ChibiMoon's eyes widened, "--would you please let her know that Shinzui was feeling rather ill and had to go home?"   
Sailor ChibiMoon nodded numbly, and Neophilus winked a ruby eye at her. Then he turned to the two older scouts. "And if you do happen to find Chibiusa, would the two of you mind making sure she gets home safely?"  
Both Sailor Moon and Sailor Neptune nodded as well. Neptune eyed the daycare director curiously. "You and Sailor Orion seemed to know each other," she observed.  
Neophilus raised one white eyebrow amusedly. "Oh, we've been friends for millenia." Sailor Moon frowned, uncertain whether or not he was teasing them. The big man turned to the small children. "All right, kids. Let's go." He and his three tiny charges left the room.  
"What do you think?" Sailor Neptune asked of Sailor Moon as they watched him go.  
"I'm not sure, but" Sailor Moon began to reply, but was interrupted when her stomach growled rather testily. She giggled. "But I do know that I'm hungry! How about you, Chibiusa-chan?"  
Sailor ChibiMoon nodded eagerly. "Wanna go home and see if Ikuko-mommy made one of her lemon pies this afternoon? She said she was going to."

Sailor Moon's eyes lit up. "That's right!" She turned to Sailor Neptune. "Why don't you come with us?"  
Neptune shook her head, and smiled. "No, that's all right, Sailor Moon. I need to get home before Haruka does. If she gets there first and I'm gone, she's going to get worried and come looking for me."  
Sailor Moon nodded. "All right, then." She took Sailor ChibiMoon's hand, and for a moment both mother and daughter's forms shimmered as they powered down and their Sailor fukus disappeared. But before they left, Usagi turned back around.  
"It's going to be all right, Michiru-san," she assured the older girl quietly. "You and me-we'll take care of Haruka-san together."  
Sailor Neptune nodded back, without responding; but the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes said it all for her. With a smile and a final nod, Usagi and Chibiusa were gone. Neptune sighed, but it was not entirely a sad sound. _It's good to have friends_, she thought to herself as she resumed her normal form. _And I'm going to protect them with everything I've got._ A gentle smile curved her lips as she thought about her tough, tomboyish best friend. _Whether or not they think they need it._ With that last mental note, Keioh Michiru started on her way home.

[Back to Part Six][1][  
On to Part Eight][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic6.htm
   [2]: fanfic8.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	8. The winter sun! Shinzui learns Minako's...

Part Eight: The winter sun! Shinzui learns Minako's game

The ground beneath the black monument trembled as Lord Narcissus bellowed in fury. "I don't care what you say, Lady Slipper!" His icy voice sounded from the tear in space above the monument. "I'm perfectly capable of handling those meddling Sailor Senshi all by myself. You'll see. I'm going to get all of them this time!"  
This statement was only followed by mocking feminine laughter. "We'll see, Lord Narcissus. I'm only here because I'm concerned about your well-being. After all, if you don't bring in some results soon"  
Narcissus growled, and the sound shook the entire plain. "I know exactly why you're here, Lady Slipper. The Avatar sent you to check up on my progress, and you're scoping out my position for yourself. Wouldn't you just love to get your hands on a promotion?"  
Again that mocking laughter. "Oh, my dear Narcissus. You have it all wrong. I'm here to help you."  
"I don't need your help."  
"Oh, but you do. You need to find the Silver Dagger, right? Well, I know just how to do it." The feminine tones took on a dangerous resonance.  
"Oh, really?" Lord Narcissus sounded as though he were trying to seem nonchalant, but there was a distinct note of interest in his cold voice.   
"Yes, dear Admiral. You see, these human creatures are surprisingly predictable. Currently it is their cold season - they call it 'winter'-- when everyone stays indoors. Makes it very difficult to get large numbers of them to group together, so the jaki can take their blood all at once."  
Lord Narcissus didn't even bother to try and hide the curiosity in his voice this time. "Go on. What do you have in mind?"  
There came another peal of laughter. "Well, it's quite simple. You see this little bottle?" There was a pause as she apparently was displaying it to the Negaverse admiral. "This bottle contains a supply of sun dust."  
"Sun dust?" Narcissus snorted in derision. "Never heard of it. I think you're just playing games with me, Lady Slipper."  
"SHUT UP AND LISTEN!!!" This shrieking scream burst from the dark opening in space, piercing the sky and causing the black stone of the monument to vibrate almost to the point of shattering. A flock of large black birds pecking at the ground nearby rose off the ground in a giant cloud of frantically beating wings as they were scared away. There was silence as Lord Narcissus evidently chose to obey the irritated woman, at least for the moment. After a few seconds, Lady Slipper's voice could be heard again, speaking normally as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.   
"Now then, sun dust is a substance that was created for us by Sailor Phoenix himself, my suspicious little friend. When sprinkled through the sky, it will create the illusion of warm, sunny weather. And like I said before, the humans are quite predictable. As soon as this unexpected warm weather appears, I promise you that nearly every last one of them is going to get outside and go to a place that they seem to enjoy in hot weather-they call it the 'beach'."  
"Are you sure?" Lord Narcissus questioned dubiously. "What if it doesn't work?"  
"It will." Then Lady Slipper laughed again. "But even if it doesn't , who cares? It's not like you're getting anything accomplished as it is. You really don't have much to lose, here, Narcissus."  
"Fine." Lord Narcissus took a deep breath. "Come out, my _jaki_!"  
A drop of the oily black substance gathered at the bottommost edge of the gaping hole, and fell. It struck the cold stone of the monument with a sizzle and began to swell and move, taking on its black, ugly form. This_ jaki_ had the same yellow eyes as the others, and three long, hooked claws extending from each fist. The evil spirit grinned wickedly through the tear in space.   
"_Jaki_ here, Lord Narcissus," it hissed gleefully.  
"Listen to me, my simple minded minion. Take this bottle." A shimmering little crystal bottle, filled with something reddish-orange that swirled around inside, was tossed from the hole. The creature caught it, and stared at the swirling dust inside.  
"Pretty," the monster commented, tilting the bottle back and forth to watch the patterns change.  
"That bottle is filled with something called sun dust." This was Lady Slipper's voice. "You will take the sun dust and scatter it in the sky on your way to the city, you understand?"  
The ugly spirit nodded. "_Jaki _understand."  
"Then I want you go find a place called the 'beach'. There will be many, many humans there."  
The creature's yellow eyes lit up with anticipation. "Human juice?" it inquired greedily, smacking its swollen dark lips.  
It was Lord Narcissus' turn to give a mocking laugh. "That's right, my _jaki_. Human juice, and lots of it. I want you to get it all, and find the one with the Silver Dagger. Then you bring the Dagger to me."  
The _jaki_ nodded its understanding. "Human juice Silver Dagger. _Jaki _will go." The shining black creature curled into a ball, rolling off the dark monument and striking the grass-covered ground with a bounce. It bounced again, and again, and then flew up into the sky. A trail of sparkling red-orange dust seemed to follow it as it arched its way towards Tokyo. The sun dust began to spread quickly through the sky, and the atmosphere above the plain already began to feel several degrees warmer.  
"It's working." Lady Slipper's voice could be heard to comment from the infinite darkness beyond the edges of the hole.   
"It had better work," Lord Narcissus growled. "I've had it with those ridiculous humans, and I'm starting to lose my patience." Then he began to laugh, that deep, chilling chuckle that caused the very grass on the plain to shiver in spite of the warmer temperatures. "We'll find it this time. This time, I'm sure"

"Ugh." Tsukino Usagi rolled over on her bed uncomfortably, trying to get back to sleep, but it was no use. She lifted a hand to push a strand of hair out of her face, and grunted again with surprise to feel that her forehead was damp. She sat up and moved to throw the covers back, only to realize that she had kicked them all onto the floor in her sleep. Still only half-awake, she stared vacantly out the window for a moment trying to figure out what it was that didn't seem right about this. She was startled into full wakefulness, though, when a heavy, furry animal bounded into her lap.  
"You're finally awake, Usagi-chan. Did you hear the weather report this morning?"  
"What are you talking about, Luna?" Usagi grumbled a bit testily, rising to her feet and thereby dumping her pet onto the floor rather unceremoniously. She walked over to her bureau to exchange the sweat-soaked T-shirt she was wearing into something a little cooler and drier.  
"I'm talking about all this sunshine," Luna responded, also sounding a bit testy. She didn't like being dropped on the floor like that, not that she wasn't used to it by now. With dignity she sat down and began to clean her ruffled fur. When she was satisfied, having repaired the damage caused by her careless Princess, she continued. "Here it is, just two weeks before Christmas, and it's 95 degrees outside."  
"Ugh. No wonder it's so hot in here," Usagi complained, running a brush through her sweaty hair. "I'm going to have to take a bath before I can even get dressed."   
Just then, Usagi's bedroom door burst open and Chibiusa came bounding in, dressed in her little pink swimsuit, with a polka-dotted floating toy around her waist. "Usagi-chan! Usagi-chan! Are you ready to go?" She stopped short at the sight of her future mother still in her nightclothes. "Don't tell me you just woke up!"  
"Didn't your mother teach you to knock?" Usagi snapped at the little girl irritably.  
Chibiusa cocked an eyebrow. "My mother is the one who always forgets to knock," she declared, staring at Usagi pointedly.  
Usagi frowned, noticing for the first time the way her future daughter was dressed. "What on earth are you wearing all that stuff for?" she asked.  
Chibiusa rolled her russet eyes. "Since it's Saturday, Kenji-papa and Ikuko-mommy are taking us to the beach."  
Usagi's eyes brightened. "Lucky!" she squealed happily, and began to dig through her drawers with more enthusiasm.   
"But you'd better hurry, Usagi, because we're all ready to go."  
Usagi found her pink swimsuit, with its oddly placed yellow bows, buried in the very back corner of the drawer, and she yanked it out. "Here," she announced, "I found it." She raced over to her closet and began to dress.   
Thirty seconds later, Usagi was ready to leave. Chibiusa stared at her future mother in disbelief. "Usagi, I've never seen you get dressed that fast unless you're going on a date with Mamo-chan."  
"Come on, Chibiusa, we're wasting time." Usagi grabbed Chibiusa's hand and started pulling her towards the door. Then she stopped suddenly. "Uh-oh."  
"What?" the little girl demanded impatiently.  
"What if Mamo-chan comes to the beach today too? What will Papa say?"  
A mischievous gleam entered Chibiusa's eyes. "Well, Usagi-chan, why not just tell him that you and Mamo-chan are dating?"  
Usagi looked quite uncertain. "I don't think Papa would like that at all. I mean, there is an age difference between us, and"  
"For that matter, why don't I just tell Kenji-papa that I'm Mamo-chan's and your daughter?"  
Usagi's eyes flew wide. "Chibiusa, don't you dare it's not that way at all, and you know it!"  
Chibiusa grinned wickedly. "But Kenji-papa doesn't know. I think it would be interesting to see what he thinks about being my grandpapa." She pretended to consider for a moment. "As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to go tell him right now!" She started to walk out of the bedroom.  
"Chibiusa!" Usagi tackled her future daughter, pinning her to the carpet, and Chibiusa began to giggle incessantly. Usagi rolled the pink-haired girl over to face her, and glared. "You'd better not say a word to Papa, or I'm going to make you really, really sorry!"  
Chibiusa just kept giggling. "The the look on your face." she managed to gasp out in between laughs.  
"What's going on in here, girls?" Tsukino Kenji popped his head around the doorframe.   
Usagi froze, and gazed at Chibiusa in terror. _What if she?_ But Chibiusa managed to stifle her giggles, and tilted her head backwards to look at Kenji, albeit upside-down.  
"Nothing, Kenji-papa," Chibiusa asserted, her face still pink from her laughing. "We were just playing."  
Usagi breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her future daughter gratefully. Chibiusa winked at her. From the doorway, Usagi's father shook his head with amusement. "Well, the more time you spend playing here, the less time we're going to have at the beach. Are you girls ready to go?"  
Both of them jumped up. "_Hai_!" they answered together.   
"Come on," Shingo whined, also sticking his head around the corner. "Let's go, already. I want to practice some surfing."  
Usagi stuck her tongue out at her little brother. "We're coming," she answered, imitating his whining tone. Usagi and Chibiusa both grabbed their towels and headed out to the car with the rest of their family.

Shinzui stepped onto the crowded bus, and allowed Centauri to guide her to a vacant seat near the back. She sat down, making sure that her guide dog was settled next to her, and then put the flowered beach bag she was carrying beneath her seat.   
As she bent over, Centauri asked quietly, "Are you sure about this, Shinzui-chan?"  
Shinzui cocked her head to sense if it was safe to respond. The man sitting next to her by the window was snoring loudly, and she could hear the two passengers in front of her involved in a heated debate about the cause of the sudden hot weather. No one was paying undue attention to her, so she nodded to her pet.  
"I'm sure, Centauri. This unseasonable weather change is not normal. I feel certain that the Negaverse is behind it somehow. With nearly everyone in the city heading to the beach today, I have a very ominous sense that Narcissus is going to try and take advantage of the crowds there. I need to go."  
Centauri looked at her with concern. "But , Shinzui-chan, you're still very weak from your last encounter with Lord Narcissus. Are you sure you can handle this today? Maybe you should just let the other Sailor Scouts take this one."  
Shinzui shook her head. "No, Centauri. This is my battle, not theirs. They don't even know what they're fighting for, yet." She sighed and rubbed her temples. Truth to tell, she was still a little weak. But she couldn't allow that to slow her down, not when there was so much at stake. "I know the Negaverse is behind this weather change, somehow, and I intend to get to the bottom of all of this."  
Centauri's liquid brown eyes were thoughtful. "Shinzui-chan, Lord Narcissus and his jaki are creatures of darkness and cold. They don't have the power to do something like this."  
"I know." The note of concern was unmistakable in the blind girl's sweet, musical voice. "That's what worries me."  
Centauri licked his mistress' hand in an attempt to console her. Shinzui had a sixth sense about the Negaverse's activities, she always had. She always seemed to know exactly when they were attacking, when they were vulnerable, and when they could be defeated. Of course, this didn't surprise Centauri a bit. Shinzui had, after all, had such an intimate connection to them in the past, before  
"Shinzui-san!"  
Centauri looked up in surprise at the unexpected greeting. Shinzui tilted her head towards the newcomer, and a slow smile spread across her face. "Ami, Rei Makoto, wasn't it? And I'm sorry, but I don't think I recognize your other friend."  
Minako's eyes widened in amazement as the young blind woman correctly identified all three of her friends. "Uh I'm Aino Minako. Nice to meet you. And that's incredible!"  
Shinzui raised an eyebrow. "What's incredible, Aino-san?" she inquired sweetly.  
Minako took a seat next to her friends across the narrow center aisle from Shinzui and her guide dog. Makoto opted to stand, gripping the overhead bar easily with one hand, her body swaying gently as the bus began to move. Minako stared at Shinzui with wide blue eyes.  
"Oh, you can call me Minako," she was quick to offer. "It's incredible the way you could tell who they were. How did you do that?"  
Shinzui smiled. "Your footsteps," she responded. "And Ami's voice. I knew it had to be them."  
Minako shook her head in amazement. "That's so cool," she enthused. "Rei said you were really smart." Before Shinzui had the opportunity to reply, the bubbly blond had moved on to a different topic. "So are you coming to the beach today, too?"  
The blind girl nodded with a smile that, had the girls known her better, would have seemed a little less than genuine. "That's right," she responded, trying to keep her voice light. Then she cocked her head to the side a bit. "Is is Tsukino Usagi coming too?" she inquired, making an attempt to sound casual. Centauri straightened a bit and looked up into his mistress' face. He knew exactly why she was asking that particular question.  
"Uh-huh," Makoto responded, not seeming to notice the carefully masked tension in the older girl's voice. "She's going with her family, though."  
"I see." Shinzui laid a slender hand on Centauri's head, and he understood completely. _The Princess. She's going to protect the Princess. _"It's a good thing I'm going, then."  
"Why's that?" Minako wanted to know with curiosity.  
Shinzui smiled mysteriously. "Oh, nothing really. I'd just like to talk with her again. She's an interesting girl."  
Rei snorted with amusement. "Interesting. That's one way to put it."  
Shinzui smiled, but did not get to reply as the ever vivacious Minako once again changed the subject.   
"Do you play volleyball, Shinzui-san?" she asked eagerly. "Because we're going to have a little tournament, and we need another player."  
Shinzui shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at sports," she replied gently. She didn't add that she was also feeling a bit weak at the moment. But Minako didn't seem to understand the inference to the blind girl's condition.  
"I can teach you," she offered generously, grinning from ear to ear. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?" she demanded as Rei elbowed her in the ribs. Her friend rolled her eyes and pointed at her own eyes without saying anything. Minako got the point this time, and blushed furiously.  
But Shinzui didn't seem offended. In fact, she looked rather thoughtful, despite her weariness. "Well, that's a challenging prospect," she mused. "I don't know that I've ever even tried. It might prove interesting." She turned her head towards Minako. "That is, of course, if you'd really like to try and teach me."  
Minako turned and stuck her tongue out at Rei before turning back to Shinzui with her sweetest smile. "I'd love to," she answered. "I think, considering how tall you are, that you'd be really great."  
Shinzui smiled back. Just then, the bus' brakes squealed and the doors opened with a hiss.   
"Welcome to the beach, folks!" the bus driver announced, as his passengers began to gather up their things and exit.   
Shinzui reached beneath her seat and pulled out her beach bag, then took a firm grip on Centauri's harness. She stood up and stepped into the aisle, and Makoto held out a friendly hand to steady her. Shinzui smiled down at the brunette. "_Arigatou_."  
"No problem," Makoto responded, a little awed once again at the older girl's extreme height. "Hey, why don't you come to the cabana with us, and we can all get changed together? Then we'll go find Usagi-chan and Chibiusa-chan and head for the volleyball nets."  
Shinzui nodded. "All right."  
The girls all made their way off the bus and headed for the nearest vacant cabana. It took them a while to find one; they had to wait in line as there were so many people on the beach who wanted to take advantage of the remarkable warm weather. Finally they managed to get inside one of the small beach tents, and they all began to change into their swimsuits. Centauri, forever the gentleman, opted to remain outside.  
Shinzui changed quickly, wanting to get out of there and find Usagi as soon as possible. She just wasn't going to feel calm until she had the Princess under her guard. Something was not right about this there was danger on the beach today, and Shinzui was determined to make sure that it didn't get the chance to threaten her Princess. She tied the halter of her apricot-colored swimsuit behind her neck, tossed her skirt and blouse into her bag, and straightened to wait for the others.  
"Here, Shinzui-san. You'd better put some of this on." Without thinking, Makoto tossed her a bottle of suntan lotion. Instinctively, Shinzui reached out and caught it neatly, with one hand.   
Ami stared. "Shinzui-san, how did you catch that bottle if you couldn't see it coming?" Makoto, realizing her mistake, blushed a little. She'd forgotten that the taller girl was blind.   
Shinzui shrugged. "I just felt it coming, I guess, and I reached out to get it I don't know, exactly. I've always been able to do that." She smiled a bit as she tossed the bottle back to Makoto. "I appreciate it," she said to the athletic brunette, "but I never wear suntan lotion. I don't need it."  
Rei frowned as she took the bottle from Makoto's hand and began to rub the lotion on her own shoulders. "Your skin is so fair, though," she remarked. "You're going to burn to a crisp out there."  
Shinzui shook her head. "No, it's all right. It's odd, but I never get sunburn. I never get a suntan, either. The lotion, though that gives me a rash. I think I'm allergic to it."   
Minako pulled a sheer cover-up over her head and grinned. "Well, if you can catch a lotion bottle, I'm sure you can play volleyball. It's the same thing, only you hit the ball instead of catching it." She ran a brush through her long golden hair a few times so that it shone, then put the brush back in her bag. "All right, guys, let's go play!"  
They stepped out of the cabana, and Centauri went over to his mistress, nosing her leg slightly so she would know she was there. Shinzui took his harness, and frowned as the unseasonable sunlight struck her face. There it was again, that premonition that something was wrong. Her grip on her retriever's harness tightened.  
Ami shook her head. "There are so many people here," she observed, gazing over the crowd of frolicking beach-goers. "How on earth are we going to find Usagi?"  
"Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll find us," Minako offered hopefully as she, too, scanned the crowd.   
Shinzui closed her sightless eyes for a moment. "She's this way," she said quietly after a few seconds, and turned to her left.  
The other four girls looked at each other, then chased after the blind girl making her way confidently through the throng of people. Shinzui wound between several picnic tables and beach blankets, and a few seconds later, led them straight to a giant umbrella under which sat Usagi, Chibiusa, Shingo and their parents. The four girls looked at each other again.   
"How did she do that?" Rei whispered to Ami. Ami shook her head.   
"I've heard that blind people have their other senses heightened. Maybe it's the same for Shinzui-san," she responded quietly.  
Usagi leapt to her feet at the sight of her friends. "_Minna_!" she called happily, springing to her feet. "And Shinzui-san! I didn't know you would be here!"  
Shinzui inclined her head with a smile, and Centauri could sense his mistress' relief at finding her beloved Princess safe and sound. "It is good to see you again, Usagi-san," she responded musically.  
"Shinzui-san!" Chibiusa cried happily, running up to her piano teacher and hugging her legs, which were the only part of the colossal blind woman that the small girl could reach. She ruffled the silky fur on the golden retriever's neck. "Hi, Centauri."   
Shinzui smiled down at the pink-ponytailed little girl. "Hello, Chibiusa. How's the practicing going?"   
Chibiusa nodded excitedly. "I think I finally got that song we were working on last week," she announced proudly. "Can I play it for you at our next lesson?"   
"Of course."  
"Come on, guys," Minako broke in. "Let's go play volleyball." As an afterthought, she bowed quickly to Usagi's parents. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino."   
The adults smiled at the girls. "Hello, Minako-chan. Hello, girls. Have fun today, all right?" Ikuko greeted them.   
Kenji frowned. "And, Usagi-chan, I want you to stay together with your friends and don't go off talking to strange boys, you understand?"  
Chibiusa grinned wickedly. "Oh, don't worry, Kenji-papa. We won't talk to any _strange _boys Promise."  
Usagi glared down at her warningly, and her friends had to turn away to hide their snickering. Then turned back to her father. "We'll be fine, papa. Really."  
The girls took off across the sand in a flurry of giggles. Shinzui smiled for a moment at Usagi's parents. "Don't worry, Tsukino-san," she said to Kenji quietly, with a slight smile. "I'll look after them." She turned and allowed Centauri to lead her in the same direction that the other girls had vanished in.

"Now, when you hit the ball, you should have your hands together, like this," Minako instructed, taking Shinzui's arms and joining the blind girl's hands together. "Your elbows stay straight, and you hit the ball with your lower arms, right here." She touched Shinzui's forearms in demonstration. "It may sting a little, but not so much once you're used to it."  
Shinzui nodded, a strand of pale hair escaping from her bun to fall across her face. She didn't seem to notice as she concentrated on Minako's words. "All right. I can do that."  
"Good, let's try it a couple of times," Minako suggested. "I'm going to toss you the ball, and you try and hit it back to me."  
The ball went up in the air. Shinzui could sense it coming towards her, and lifted her arms. She made contact with the volleyball a bit late, though, and it went straight up rather than towards Minako. The ball landed a little ways behind her. Shinzui straightened with a smile. "Ooops."  
"You can do it, Shinzui-san," came a deep male voice from her right. She turned to smile in the direction of the speaker, but did not bother to attempt a reply because he wouldn't have heard her over the sudden clamoring of his future wife and daughter.    
"Mamo-chan!" both Tsukino girls cried, leaping to their feet and latching themselves onto the handsome young man's arms. They began to chatter brightly to him, each trying to compete with the other for his attention. Shinzui smiled again and shook her head, knowing that her friend had his hands full at the moment. She turned back to Minako.  
"Can I try that again?" she asked sweetly. "Sometimes it takes a while for me to find the rhythm."  
Minako nodded. "Sure. Here goes!" She tossed the white ball again, and this time Shinzui connected with it perfectly. It sailed up over Minako's head and thudded softly into the sand of the volleyball court.  
"That was perfect," Minako asserted, jogging over to the volleyball and retrieving it. "Now, before we really start playing, there are a couple other things you should know, like spiking the ball and how to serve it. And of course I should tell you the rules of the game."  
Shinzui began to relax a bit now that Mamoru was here. She knew that, despite the negative premonitions she was feeling, as long as the Princess was surrounded by her guardian Scouts and her Prince, she was relatively safe. Any one of them would give up their lives for her, Shinzui knew that much. So she was able to concentrate much more completely on Minako's careful instruction.  
After about another half hour, Shinzui was familiar enough with the game to play in a real one. The girls decided to split up, with Rei, Makoto, Ami and Chibiusa on one side, and Usagi, Shinzui, Minako and Mamoru on the other side. Mamoru was not going to play, at first, but they needed another person to make the sides even, and besides, Usagi wouldn't hear of him just sitting and watching.  
Minako served the ball, and Makoto attempted to spike it. But Mamoru got to it just in time and returned it over the net. And so it went. No one really kept track of the score, since that wasn't really the point of this game. Shinzui managed to do fairly well, returning most of the shots sent in her direction; and she even got the chance to spike a couple of times, which was a very impressive move considering the fact that she was six feet tall and scarcely had to jump in order to connect with the ball.   
Centauri sat on the sidelines and observed Shinzui with something akin to a smile. It had been such a long time since he'd heard her laugh like that; it was something that only ever happened in the presence of the Princess. Centauri was amazed at his mistress' confidence and persistence. For as long as he'd known her she'd been like that, never letting circumstances get in the way of accomplishing goals. This was not the first lifetime that she'd been reborn with a handicap, but it was the first time she'd ever been blind. Still, it didn't seem to matter. Shinzui treated it more like an inconvenience than anything else, still stubbornly determined to do everything that everyone else could do, handicap or no. Another peal of her silvery laughter made him smile even more. How truly wonderful it was in those rare moments when she allowed herself to be happy. Centauri was so grateful to the Princess for making his mistress smile.   
A couple hours later, the entire group was thoroughly worn out, and thoroughly happy. Ami and Rei sprawled out on their towels in the warm sun to take a rest, while Chibiusa and Usagi dragged Mamoru into the cool water to rinse the sweat out of their hair and splash around for a while. Makoto started performing some slow stretching routines to cool down after all that exercise, and Shinzui pulled a water bottle from her bag. She squirted some of the water into her own mouth, then took the top off the bottle and poured some into a small bowl she'd brought along for Centauri. He lapped it up quickly, the hot sun having made him quite thirsty, and so she poured him some more and ruffled his silky golden fur as he drank it, more slowly this time.   
Shinzui recapped her bottle and put it away, then looked up as a new sensation struck her mind. She froze for a moment, trying to determine what it was that she was sensing. It wasn't the Negaverse, she knew that. It was it was one of her friends. Someone was feeling some strongly unhappy emotions. Frowning, Shinzui rose to her feet and took Centauri's harness. She brushed the sand off her legs, and started to walk in the direction of the foreign feelings. As she got closer she knew who it was. Minako.  
Minako sat on a rock facing the ocean, staring absently at the sapphire waves as they lapped gently, lazily at the sand of the beach. The volleyball in her hands turned slowly.  
"Minako?" Shinzui said quietly so as not to disturb the blond athlete. She took a seat next to her on the rock, and Centauri settled himself behind them. "What's the matter?"  
Minako turned to look at the pale-haired girl. Her blue eyes were troubled. "Nothing, really. I just" She sighed. "Tell me something, Shinzui-san. Do you ever feel like the fact that you're different keeps you from living a normal life?"  
_So that's what this is about_, Shinzui mused with a smile. _Sailor Venus was always the one who had the most difficulty accepting her destiny. Her dreams were always so big_ Shinzui nodded. She knew how to handle this; she'd counseled Venus on this very topic more times than she could count.  
"Well, Minako, first you're going to have to define what you mean by 'normal'." Her voice was warm. "You see, everyone has a different destiny. Everyone lives a different life. So what exactly does it mean for that life to be 'normal'?"  
Minako returned her gaze to the ocean, and tossed a rock towards the oncoming waves. "I don't know, I guess." She was quiet for a moment, and Shinzui let her think. "I guess I guess what I want is to be able to go after my dreams without anything else getting in the way."  
Shinzui nodded slowly. "I can understand that. It gets very frustrating when you have to struggle so hard to accomplish things that others can do easily." She reached out and took the ball from Minako's idle fingertips, and she caressed it gently with her own. Minako gazed at her.  
"How do you do it, Shinzui-san? How do you find the courage to keep struggling? I mean, you're blind, and it seems like there's nothing you can't do."  
Shinzui smiled, her vacant eyes very soft. "Oh, there are plenty of things that I'll never do, Minako. I'll never drive a car, or play a video game. I'll never be able to watch a movie or paint a beautiful picture. But what it ultimately comes down to is that I am what I am. I can't change that. I am blind. I will always be blind."  
Minako shook her head. "And that doesn't make you sad, sometimes? Knowing that there are things you'll never get to do, things you can never be, because of what you are?"  
A slow, sweetly melancholy smile spread over Shinzui's features. "A very wise girl once told me that there was one truth that held for all people. What you are has nothing to do with who you choose to be."  
Minako pondered this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You're right," she responded. "Even if I am different, I still have a choice, don't I?"  
Shinzui inclined her head in affirmation. "You do. You always have the choice. You can let your differences overcome you or you can overcome them. You can't change the circumstances, but you can always choose your reaction to them."  
The golden-haired girl smiled suddenly and wrapped Shinzui in a hug. "Arigatou, Shinzui-san," she grinned. Then she took the volleyball back from Shinzui's hands and considered it thoughtfully. "You know, every time I play this game I start wondering if my life is really going in the direction that I want it to." She turned the ball carefully. "Maybe I should take it up again, if it's going to have this much of an influence over me."  
Shinzui smiled. "You're very good at it," she offered. "And you're also a fine teacher. Perhaps you ought to consider becoming a coach."   
Minako smiled and nodded. "I think I'd like that."  
Suddenly Shinzui stiffened, and her sightless eyes flew open in alarm. _I knew it. They're coming._ In one fluid motion the blind girl had risen to her feet and seized her guide dog's harness. "I'm sorry, Minako, but I have to go now."  
Minako looked up in confusion. "Is anything wrong?" she asked in alarm.  
Shinzui shook her head. "I don't have time to explain." She could feel the evil presence getting closer by the second. "We'll talk again later, all right?" She turned quickly and Centauri led her away, down the beach and out of sight.  
Minako frowned. Well, that was weird. A few seconds later, though, she began to hear screaming coming from the direction in which Shinzui had vanished. Minako rose to her feet as Rei, Ami, and Makoto came running up behind her.   
"Did you hear that, Minako-chan?" Rei asked.   
Minako nodded. "Where's Usagi? I have the feeling we're going to need Sailor Moon for this."  
"Mamoru is bringing her, and Chibiusa-chan too," Ami responded.  
"Right." Minako's tone took on a leadership quality as she produced her transformation pen. "Let's go, Scouts!"  
All four girls waved their pens in the air and called for their transformations. A few seconds later, the Sailor-clad Senshi were charging down the beach in the direction of the commotion.  
"Hey guys wait" Usagi gasped as she chased after them.  
"You'd better transform now, Usako," Mamoru suggested, as a rose appeared in his own hand. Usagi and Chibiusa looked at each other, and nodded.

The _jaki _dropped the woman's body and burped loudly. "Human juice!" it hissed happily, chasing after and seizing an old man. The creature bared its fangs and prepared to sink them into his victim's shoulder.  
"Stop." The command was spoken calmly, almost casually, and yet with so much authority that the evil spirit paused and looked up towards the voice.  
She was sitting on the roof of one of the lifeguard towers, frowning down at the monster. A trail of scattered, drained bodies lined the beach behind it. Sailor Orion raised an eyebrow. "I've been expecting you," she said to the jaki calmly. "No more human juice for you today, I'm afraid." Orion slid off the tower and landed in the sand. The evil spirit stared at her for a moment, then opened its mouth and tried to blast her with a burst of dark energy.  
Sailor Orion dodged to the side, and the energy bolt flew past her. But since she'd learned from experience that the _jaki_'s attacks could reverse their direction of their own accord, she spun around to face it. Sure enough, the black lighting bolt turned and started heading for her again. Orion waited, then leaped out of the way an instant before it could reach her. The negative energy smashed into the lifeguard tower, and was absorbed harmlessly.  
"Burning Mandala!"  
"Venus Love-Me Chain!"  
The two attacks were combined, sending a fiery chain of red-gold hearts towards the evil spirit. The _jaki_ attempted to get out of the way, but forgot about the old man it was carrying. The extra weight slowed him down, and the Scouts' chain wrapped itself around the creature's ankle. The monster screeched with pain and frustration, and dropped its burden on the sand. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus shared a high-five.  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"  
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"  
A burst of electrified water now enveloped the unfortunate Negaverse creature, who was still held captive by the burning chain. The _jaki _again hissed its displeasure. It reached down and snapped the chain around its ankle with the three hooked claws on its fist. Then it opened its mouth and spit black power at the Sailor Senshi.  
All four girls scattered as the monster's attack charged towards them. The dark energy was absorbed into a giant, rainbow colored umbrella behind them.   
Sailor Orion took a deep breath. She was still weak, but she did have just enough strength to summon her Sphere. She raised an arm. But someone grasped it before she could do anything, and Orion opened her eyes. It was Tuxedo Kamen, holding her wrist. "You're still exhausted, Sailor Orion," he pointed out calmly. "Let her do it."  
Orion looked up to see Sailor Moon already powering up her Moon Scepter. She watched for a moment, and then nodded at Tuxedo Kamen. He released her hand, and the two stood and observed Sailor Moon as she prepared to destroy the _jaki_.  
"Moon Healing Escalation!" Sailor Moon called out, her two long ponytails streaming around her as she spun in a circle, then dropped to one knee and unleashed her purifying power on the evil spirit.   
The creature shrieked furiously as its negative power was nullified by the attack, and it melted away slowly. After a few moments, all that was left was a now-familiar puddle of oily black residue that was quickly absorbed into the sand. But there was something different left behind with this one; a little crystal bottle filled with something that glowed and swirled around. Sailor Orion's eyes widened. _So that's how they did it. I haven't seen sun dust since_   
"Ooh, pretty!" Sailor ChibiMoon exclaimed, reaching down to pick up the bottle.  
"NO!!!" Sailor Orion exploded, racing across the sand and managing to snatch the pink senshi's hand away before it could make contact with the crystal bottle. Sailor ChibiMoon looked up at Orion with startled eyes.  
"What's wrong?" she asked innocently.  
Orion took a deep breath, relieved. "You mustn't touch it," she explained, letting the littlest senshi go.  
Sailor Jupiter frowned. "Well, what is it?" she demanded, glaring at the little bottle now with suspicion, and looking very much like she was thinking about picking it up herself.  
Sailor Orion searched around on the sand and took the nearest beach towel. She wrapped the towel around her gloved hand several times, then bent over and gingerly picked up the small crystal vial of dust. The beach towel began to smoke and burn as it made contact with the crystal.  
"This," she said, holding it up so the other Scouts and Tuxedo Kamen could see, "is called sun dust. It comes from the Negaverse, and it will literally burn your hand right off." She fastened her silver eyes on the swirling dust inside the bottle. She could feel the heat it was giving off, even through the towel. "This is why we're having such strange weather today. The jaki has spread this stuff through the sky."   
Sailor Venus coughed as the smoke from the burning beach towel reached her nostrils, and she waved her hand in front of her face. "Yuck."  
Sailor Mercury squeezed her earring, and her VR visor slid into place. "There is a lot of concentrated negative energy in that dust," she reported. "And I'm getting the same readings from the upper atmosphere. You're right, that spirit did fill the sky with it." She looked up at Sailor Orion. "We should destroy it."  
Orion nodded. "Yes. And for that we're going to need Sailor Mars."  
"Why me?" Mars wanted to know with surprise.  
Sailor Orion tilted her head. "Sun dust is a substance created by the Realm of Fire," she said. "Only someone with influence over the Realm of Fire can really destroy it." She set the smoking vial down on the sand again, and unwrapped the now blackened and singed towel from her hand.  
"Realm of Fire?" Sailor Mars questioned dubiously, staring down at the glittering little bottle.  
Sailor Orion smiled. "Yes. That is your Realm of influence. Each of you has one, and they're all different."  
"Even me?" Sailor ChibiMoon wanted to know.   
Orion inclined her head. "Yes, small one, though your influence is not as strong yet as it someday will be. You, Sailor Moon, and I we all have powers from the same Realm; the Realm of Soul."  
Sailor Mars was still staring at the bottle of sun dust. "Okay, so how do I destroy this thing?" she asked.  
Orion giggled in that tinkling, musical way. "Well now, I suppose that's up to you."  
Mars nodded, and a mischievous grin spread across her face. "All right, then." She put her hands together, index fingers extended, and powered up her attack. "Fire Soul!" Sending the ball of flames straight at the shimmering bottle, the other Scouts and Tuxedo Kamen all took a step back as the sun dust exploded, shooting a column of fire straight up into the sky. The fire then seemed to ignite the air itself, as the dust that had been scattered into the atmosphere caught flame and burned away.  
"Crazy pyro," Sailor Venus muttered under her breath as Sailor Mars gazed with excitement at the burning sky.  
"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen," Mars exulted. "I gotta get me more of that stuff."  
"Sailor Orion, tell me something. About these Realms" Sailor Mercury broke off in mid-sentence. "Hey, where did she go?"  
The other Senshi looked around them, but Orion had disappeared. Sailor Moon sighed with disappointment. "I wish she wouldn't do that," she muttered. "Just vanish into thin air, just when things are getting interesting." Then the small Sailor leader shivered. "Brrr. Is it just me or did it get really cold all of a sudden?"   
Tuxedo Kamen wrapped his cape around Sailor Moon's shoulders. "The sun dust was making everything warm," he reminded her. "Now that it's gone, the weather is back to normal."  
Sailor Moon gazed up at him with starry eyes. "Oh, I don't mind, Tuxedo Kamen-sama. I think I'll just stay here with you and your nice warm cape for a while." She traced a little design on his shirtfront with her fingertip.  
"Hey, I'm cold too," Sailor ChibiMoon whined, coming up on Tuxedo Kamen's other side and putting her small arms around his leg.  
"Sailor Moon. There's one more thing that needs to be done here," Sailor Mercury reminded her, indicating the trail of unconscious bodies that littered the beach. Sailor Moon sighed, and stepped away from Tuxedo Kamen long enough to wave her Moon Scepter one more time.  
"Moon Healing Escalation!"  
The combination of the now-chilly temperatures and Sailor Moon's cleansing powers began to revive the beach-goers, and Sailor Moon quickly returned to Tuxedo Kamen and his nice warm cape.  
"Okay, everybody, let's go get changed," Sailor Venus decided.  
Together the group made their way back down the beach.

Later that evening, as Usagi sat on her bed relating the events of the day to Luna, she yawned and stretched. "You know, I wonder" she mused sleepily, climbing under the covers.  
"What's that, Usagi-chan?" Luna inquired.  
"Sailor Orion said we all had Realms of influence. And she said they're all different. But if Sailor ChibiMoon and Sailor Orion can have powers in the same Realm as mine, then" she drifted off.  
Luna was curious. It wasn't often that Usagi thought seriously about things like this. "Then?" she prodded.  
"Then what if there are others, who share the Realms of the other Scouts? I wonder" Usagi fell silent as she rolled over and fell asleep, but Luna sat quietly for a moment. Then she went to the window and gazed up at the moon, shining full and bright and silver.   
The cat watched as a shooting star winked across the sky. "I wonder"

[Back to Part Seven][1]  
[On to Part Nine][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic7.htm
   [2]: fanfic9.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	9. Shinzui's sister has a problem. The worl...

Part Nine: Shinzui's sister has a problem. The world of narcotics

The moonlight glinted off the smooth black surface of the now-familiar dark monument. Suspended above, a drop of the shiny black goo was gathering at the edges of the tear in space. After a moment, it fell, striking the cold stone with a hiss. The blackness swelled and grew, shifting and growing, and taking on shape. The jaki that formed was another ugly creature, possessing a trio of what could only be called freckles, arranged in a triangular pattern on its chest. They didn't look like ordinary freckles by any means; they were white, not brown, and perfectly round. Still, as the creature had a glistening black skin, there was really no other word for the small spots. They were freckles.  
The jaki looked up at the hole it had fallen from a bit apprehensively, and listened. No, it was all right. The master was still asleep, and hadn't noticed its departure. The monster frowned as its stomach growled. It was hungry, and right now there was only one clear thought in its brain: Human juice. It wanted human juice, and soon.  
The creature knew it was forbidden to leave the Gate without being summoned, but it was so hungry it just couldn't wait any longer. It reasoned that if it went and found the Silver Dagger for Lord Narcissus, maybe the master would forgive it for breaking the law. So the evil spirit, after listening a few more seconds to be sure it was safe, leaped from the black monument.  
It rolled into a ball before it hit the ground, and performed its three bounces silently. Then the shining black ball flew into the star-filled sky, disappearing into the darkness above. The stars began to wink out and then reappear a few at a time as the black spirit made its curving trail through the night, on its way to the city in search of humans. The field was empty and quiet once more.

"All right, everyone. I brought each of you a tape of some listening exercises." Shinzui held up the box of audio cassettes she'd brought in for the music class. "I want you to take these home and listen to the short musical pieces, then write me a few sentences describing how each one made you feel." The young blind teacher slid off the desk, which she preferred to sit on rather than the chair that the university had provided. She held Centauri's harness as he led her to the first student's desk, to whom she handed the box.  
The young man took the box, removed a cassette for himself, and passed the box down the row.   
In the back of the classroom, Michiru turned back to face her partner with concern written all over her pretty features. "How are you doing, Haruka?" she asked quietly.  
Haruka's expression was grim. "I'm still here, aren't I?"  
Michiru shook her head. "I don't understand. If this is so uncomfortable for you, then why did you insist on coming with me today? You could have stayed home, or gone driving. Why are you doing this to yourself?"  
The gray eyes narrowed with determination. "Because I don't hate people for no reason. That's not the kind of person I want to be. And I may never like Giseino Shinzui, but I am going to learn to tolerate her. If it means I have to come to this class three days a week for the rest of my life, I am going to learn to tolerate her."  
Michiru took Haruka's hand sympathetically. "I wish there was something I could do."  
"There isn't." Haruka's face softened, though, as she looked at her friend, and she squeezed the delicate fingers in her own. "I can do this," she told her firmly. "I know I can."  
The teal-haired musician nodded. "I know you can, too. I believe you."  
Haruka gave her a half-smile.  
Shinzui listened for a moment to make sure the tapes were being distributed, and then nodded with satisfaction and turned around to return to her desk. All of a sudden, the classroom door burst open. The students in the classroom looked up curiously as someone new entered the class.  
"Zui-chan!" The singsong voice belonged to another young woman, also very tall, with pale blond hair and soft gray eyes. This newcomer lurched into Shinzui's arms unexpectedly and grinned up at her with a vacant expression. "I. Am. Happy."  
"Sachiko?" Shinzui gasped, supporting the frail form of her older sister as best she could. "What on earth?"  
The class had stopped passing the tapes around and everyone was now staring with interest at the girl in their teacher's arms. She was related to Giseino-san, that much was obvious just from her appearance. She was pretty, and obviously not blind, but there was something very, very odd about the way she was behaving.   
Shinzui tried to help her sister stand, as two uniformed security officers entered the classroom.  
"There you are, miss," one of them said, spying Sachiko. Then he noticed the blind girl supporting her. "Oh, Giseino-san. I'm sorry she interrupted your class. We can take her." The two guards moved forward.  
Shinzui shook her head. "It's all right, officers. I'll take it from here." Her voice was quiet as she ran her fingers lightly over her sister's face. The guards were confused for a moment, until they took a good look at the two girls and finally noticed the resemblance.  
Sachiko waved her hand in the air and grinned at the youngest of the guards with a brazen expression. "Hi, cutie. Wanna come play with me?" She flung one arm out towards him. "We can be happy forever." She pushed Shinzui's arms away and began to twirl around in the center of the classroom, repeating over and over, "forever and ever and ever and ever"   
"She's stoned," one of the students in the front row whispered to his neighbor, who giggled back.  
Shinzui reached out and took hold of her older sister's arm, pulling her towards herself and wrapping her arms around the drugged girl to stop her spinning. "It's all right," she repeated to the officers gently. "I can handle it now."  
The younger guard, blushing furiously at Sachiko's forwardness, nodded and muttered something that even Shinzui's heightened sense of hearing could not pick up. He and the other security officer turned and left the room. Shinzui could hear some of her students beginning to snicker as Sachiko squirmed uncomfortably in Shinzui's arms. She looked down at her sister.  
"Sachiko, you went back to Hell's Mouth again, didn't you?" she accused gently, already knowing the answer. Her sister just stared up at the ceiling with starry eyes.  
"Hey, look, Zui-chan. Spiders. It's a spider ceiling." Sachiko then remembered that she was terrified of spiders. This was a very unfortunate thing, for her narcotic-induced illusions had always had the tendency to feed from her fear. She started to scream. "Zui-chan, it's spiders! They're everywhere!" The horrified young woman struggled out of Shinzui's grip, stumbling into the middle of the classroom, and began to claw at her own arms frantically as the illusions spread to her body. "Get off me! Get off! Spiders so many Zui-chan, help me, oh please help!" Sachiko dug into her skin with her fingernails, scratching her arms so hard they started to bleed, and all the while screaming in terror.  
The students weren't snickering any more. This was no longer funny. A few of them stood up to help Shinzui restrain the panicking girl, but Shinzui waved them away.   
She walked behind her sister, with a calmness born of experience. She couldn't even count how many times she'd had to do this in the last few years. Shinzui took the flailing, bleeding arms and wrapped them, crisscrossed, across her chest. Then she threw the both of them to the floor, still holding Sachiko's arms, and locked her sister's legs firmly between her own, so that the frantic young woman could not get away. She held her still for several seconds, whispering comfortingly into her ear.   
"It's all right now, Chiko-chan. Zui-chan's here. The spiders are gone. I made them go away. You're safe now. It's all right." Shinzui rocked gently, soothingly, until her sister's sobs had subsided. Carefully she disentangled their legs, and, keeping Sachiko's arms crossed, sat up and wrapped her arms around the weeping girl. Again she rocked, back and forth, to an insistent, comforting rhythm. After a moment, Sachiko stopped crying.  
The class was now staring in horrified fascination, hardly able to believe what they had just seen. It wasn't every day that a classroom got interrupted by a hysterical young woman on hallucinogenic drugs. No one said a word, as Shinzui brushed the pale hair from her older sister's face.   
"You did go back to Hell's Mouth." It was a statement, not a question.  
Sachiko frowned petulantly. "I I needed" she twisted back to look up into her blind sister's face. "I was dark. I needed happy. I" she sighed, as her eyes lost focus. "I am happy."  
"No," Shinzui responded, her bell-like voice, quiet though it was, echoing through the silent classroom. "You're high. There's a big difference." Shaking her head, she finally released Sachiko's arms and reached down into her sister's jeans' pocket. She pulled out a bag of white powder, and rolled it around in her fingers. "Who did you get it from?"  
Sachiko giggled as she tried to take the bag back, but Shinzui held it out of her reach.   
"Who, Sachiko?" she repeated firmly.  
Sachiko pouted, still trying to take the drugs from her taller sister, but her blurred vision made that difficult. "Hey, gimme that."  
"I don't think so. I think you've had plenty." Shinzui lifted her sister's weight from her lap, and stood to address the class. "I'm truly sorry, everyone," she apologized, "but as you can see, a personal emergency has come up and I have to get Sachiko to the hospital. I won't assign the tapes as homework for tonight, but please do take them home and listen through them at least once before Friday's class, all right? Class is dismissed for today."  
The students began to gather their things and exit silently, each one casting curious glances at the drugged-out girl still lying on the floor as they passed. A few of them that hadn't received tapes yet started to pass the box around. Michiru and Haruka both took cassettes from the box, and started to get their books together.  
Shinzui sighed and rubbed her temples. She stuffed the bag of powder into her briefcase, and went over to her sister. "Come on, Chiko-chan." She put her hands under the girl's arms and after a bit of a struggle, lifted the limp form off of the floor.   
Sachiko put her arms around Shinzui's neck, and regarded her with fuzzy gray eyes. "But I don't wanna go to the hos" she protested weakly, and passed out.   
Shinzui sighed. How on earth was she going to carry Sachiko by herself? Sachiko was only two inches shorter than Shinzui, and quite a bit heavier. Shinzui was still not quite fully recovered from Narcissus' repeated attacks at the daycare center, and even if she had all of her strength, it would have been nearly impossible for her to handle her sister's weight all on her own. Still, she had to try, or else go call one of the security officers back in to help her. The blind girl lifted her sister off the floor, grunting with the weight.  
"Let me do it."  
Shinzui was so surprised she almost dropped Sachiko on the floor. That deep female voice could only belong to one person. Uranus. Numbly she allowed Haruka to take Sachiko's unconscious body from her arms, and for a moment Shinzui was unable to speak from astonishment.  
Haruka took the girl from the blind teacher. I can at least offer to help her, she told herself, carrying the extra weight easily. I am stronger, after all, and there's no way that fragile little thing could carry this girl. I don't care if she is taller than me. Shinzui was standing, frozen, as if she'd been stunned, and Haruka felt that spite welling up in her again as she looked at the blind girl.  
"Well, come on," she said, sounding much more snappish than she'd intended. "You going to stand there all day?" Michiru looked up curiously at her friend's face. What on earth was going on? First Haruka offers to help, then she's upset again It didn't make any sense. What could her partner be thinking? Michiru turned her attention to Shinzui then, as the blind girl now seemed a bit disoriented. She helped guide Shinzui to the edge of the desk, where Shinzui quickly located her briefcase, stuffed some papers into it, and took hold of Centauri's harness.  
"Thank you," she said gratefully to Michiru, and then was silent as Haruka brushed past them, carrying Sachiko out the door.  
Michiru shook her head at Shinzui's puzzled expression. "I have no idea, either," she said with a sigh. "But we'd better follow her, or she may just drive off without us."  
Shinzui nodded, and allowed Centauri and Michiru to lead her outside.

Haruka pulled up to the curb outside the hospital's emergency room. She got out of the car and walked around to where Sachiko was laying in the back seat, her head in Shinzui's lap. Haruka waved Shinzui's hands away as the blind girl attempted to lift her sister.  
"I'll bring her," Haruka said gruffly, sliding her arms underneath the pale-haired, unconscious woman. "Go in and tell them she's coming."  
Shinzui nodded and took Centauri's harness. She opened the convertible's door and got out of the car. Listening for a moment, she made sure that Haruka didn't need any more help with Sachiko, and then she entered the hospital's emergency waiting room.  
The red-haired woman at the desk was smacking her gum enthusiastically as Shinzui approached. She grabbed the pencil from behind her ear and pulled out some papers as soon as she saw the young blind woman coming towards her.  
"Back again, eh?" she commented in a sympathetic, nasal voice.   
Shinzui's smile was sad. "I'm afraid so."  
The secretary nodded. "I'll buzz the doctor, and start this paperwork for you. I'm going to need your sister's medical records you know the drill."  
"All too well," Shinzui responded with regret. She reached into her briefcase for the copy of her sister's records that she always carried in case of an emergency.  
"Shinzui-chan!"  
The sound of the familiar voice was almost too much for Shinzui, and she felt tears springing to her sightless eyes as she turned to face the sapphire-eyed doctor coming towards her. "Demetrius," she greeted him, her voice breaking a bit.  
The white-haired young man took one look at Shinzui's face, and knew exactly what was wrong. He held out his arms. Shinzui fell into them, and he held her for a moment as she cried silently. Demetrius felt his heart twist inside of him as he looked down at her, this beautiful girl he had known for millennia. _She's had to bear so much pain already_, he thought to himself. _It's not fair that she should have to face this too._ His arms tightened protectively around her. Shinzui did not make any noise as she cried; she never did. But she stayed in his arms and trembled, silent sobs that were somehow more terrible and more heartbreaking than any wailing could be.  
"Shinzui-chan. It's going to be all right. We'll take care of Sachiko now."  
After a long, shaky breath, the blind woman pulled back and smiled tremulously at him. Demetrius was exactly six feet tall, just like Shinzui, and so they were eye-to-eye (though of course, Shinzui couldn't see him.) She nodded at her old friend.  
"I know, Demetrius. It's just that she went through all that counseling, and was doing so well I never saw it coming."  
Demetrius looked up as Haruka and Michiru came through the sliding glass doors, with Sachiko carried in Haruka's arms. He turned to one of the white-clad nurses on his right.  
"We need a gurney in here, stat. We'll take her to poison control," he ordered. The little nurse bobbed her head and scurried away. Demetrius moved forward to take Sachiko from the masculine blonde's arms. "Thank you, sir, for your help" Suddenly his hands made contact with Haruka's arm, and he froze for a moment as recognition swept over him. His sapphire eyes met the tomboy's gray ones with surprise. It's It's her! I don't believe it! The Child is right. She must be changing.   
"I-I apologize, miss," he corrected himself. "For a moment there, I mistook you for a man."  
Haruka raised an eyebrow, wondering how on earth this white-haired doctor had known she wasn't a man. Most people never caught their mistake. "Uh don't worry about it," she responded with a small chuckle. "Happens all the time."  
Haruka turned to look at Shinzui, who was running her sensitive fingertips over her sister's face with concern. Again that inexplicable revulsion washed over her, and she dug her fingernails into her palms to keep her concentration. It was all she could do not to just turn around right there and leave without saying a word. I will not be that person. I will be polite to her, if it kills me. "Gotta go," she said, doing her best to keep the acid from her voice. "See you later." She spun on her heel, needing to get out of there before her strange feelings got out of control.  
"Haruka?"   
Haruka froze at the sound of the delicate, tinkling voice, but she did not turn around.  
Shinzui's tones were gentle, and overflowing with gratitude. "Thank you."  
Haruka turned her head, only slightly, and nodded, then stalked out the doors. Michiru watched her partner go, then turned back to Shinzui and the sapphire-eyed doctor with an apologetic smile. "I hope your sister will be all right," she said to Shinzui sweetly. "Please, let me know if there's anything I can do."  
Shinzui nodded, and laid her hand briefly on the aqua-haired girl's shoulder. "Thank you, Michiru-san. For everything."  
Michiru blushed, feeling somewhat disconcerted by the naked sincerity in the taller girl's voice. "See you Friday, Shinzui-san," she replied, and turned, following her best friend out the doors.  
Shinzui turned back as Demetrius laid her sister on the gurney that had been brought. Professionally he checked her pulse, and flashed a small light at her pupils. Shaking his head, Demetrius put the little flashlight back in the pocket of his lab coat.   
"Well, she outdid herself this time. It's a good thing you brought her in, Shinzui-chan. We're going to have to keep our eye on her for tonight."  
Shinzui nodded. "All right. I'll be back in a couple of hours then, and I'll stay here with her."  
Demetrius looked up at Shinzui, his blue eyes piercing. "Shinzui. Where are you going?"   
Shinzui's grip on Centauri's harness tightened as her face became suddenly, disturbingly, hard. She reached out to touch Sachiko's limp, pale fingers. "I warned him, Demetrius. I warned him what would happen if he ever came near her again."  
Demetrius regarded her with mild surprise. "You warned him all right. Shinzui, if I remember correctly, last time he was brought in here with two broken ribs, a punctured lung, and internal bleeding everywhere. It was a mess and it took me forever to fix it up."  
Shinzui's expression remained unimpressed. "He deserved every bit of it, Demetrius, and you know it." Her knuckles were beginning to turn white as she gripped Centauri's harness.  
Demetrius shook his head. "Shinzui, if I'm going to let you leave, you will have to promise me that he's not going to end up on my operating table again." He put both hands on the young woman's shoulders. "Promise me."  
Shinzui sighed. "All right then, Demetrius. I promise." She turned away, heading for the door.  
"Shinzui-chan"   
She turned around to face him again. Demetrius surveyed her critically, perceptively. "He'd better not end up on the morgue's table, either."  
The blind girl was still for a moment, then nodded. Her expression was still cold. So cold. Like it used to be, such a long time ago Demetrius watched as the tall young woman and her retriever exited the building, and he sighed, running a hand through his snow-white hair. She had come so far since that time, she had changed so much but old habits do indeed die hard, he mused. He felt sorry for the unfortunate man that Shinzui was going to confront. This was not going to be pretty. With a sigh, he turned his attention back to the girl on the gurney, and wheeled her down the hall towards poison control.

"Shinzui-san!"  
_Oh, no. Not the Princess. Not now. _Shinzui shook her head. She adored every moment she was able to spend in the Princess' presence, but today, there was something she had to do and she didn't want Usagi involved in it. Shinzui stood up from her seat on the wooden bench of the bus stop as the blond girl and her four friends came running towards her. Usagi paused to catch her breath, her blue eyes sparkling.  
"Hi, Shinzui-san." Usagi eyed the bus stop sign above them. "Where are you going?"  
Shinzui smiled tenderly down at the exuberant girl. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan, but I really can't talk to you right now. I have a very important appointment to keep."  
Minako giggled. "Oooh, I'll bet Shinzui-san has a date," she teased.  
Rei's eyes lit up at that. "Yeah! Who is he, Shinzui-san? Tell us!"  
Shinzui shook her head, with a small, amused smile. "Not now."  
The city bus pulled up in front of them just at that moment, and the doors opened with a hiss. Shinzui turned to her young friends.   
"I have to go, girls," she said quietly. "But I'll talk to all of you a little later, all right?" With another smile, she beckoned to Centauri, and the golden retriever led her to the steps that took her onto the bus. The doors closed behind her, hissing again, and the bus groaned as it started to move.  
Makoto was the first to speak. "Let's follow her," she suggested, green eyes sparkling mischievously. "I want to see this guy she's meeting."  
"Yeah!!" Usagi, Minako and Rei all responded in unison, jumping up and down.  
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Mako-chan," Ami responded with hesitation. "Shinzui-san is an adult, and she deserves her privacy. Don't you think it's a little impudent of us to be spying on her?"  
"It's not spying, Ami-chan. It's observing," Usagi pouted. Ami rolled her eyes.  
"Oh, come on, Ami-chan. It'll be fun, and besides, I don't think Shinzui-san will really mind." This remark came from Minako, as the vivacious blond took her studious friend's arm.  
"I wonder what kind of man a woman like Shinzui-san would be in love with," Rei mused starrily as she took Ami's other arm.  
"But we don't know where she was going," Ami pointed out in her scholastic way. "The bus could make any number of stops."  
"All the more reason to get going right now," Makoto pointed out, and the five girls started down the sidewalk in the direction that the bus had taken.  
They followed the bus route for a half an hour, with no sign of Shinzui anywhere. Usagi was beginning to get tired of the fast pace, and Minako, too, was quickly becoming disillusioned with the prospect of chasing a bus all over Tokyo. Rei was getting blisters on her heels from the stylish pumps she was wearing. Ami was on the verge of convincing them all to turn back, when Makoto, still determined to succeed in their mission of romantic espionage, spoke up.  
"Come on, guys. I know a shortcut to the next bus stop. If we don't see her there, then we'll go back, all right? Come on, don't give up yet." Grumbling a bit, the other four agreed to humor her. They followed Makoto as she confidently led them all through a dark alleyway, between some bushes, over a chain-link fence (that Rei had to remove her shoes to climb) and finally squeeze through a foot-wide gap between two buildings that had been designed for rainwater run-off.  
"Mako-chan this had better be worth it," Usagi gasped indignantly as she disentangled one of her ponytails from the low-hanging branches of a tree that blocked their way out of the narrow passage.  
"There she is!" Minako exclaimed, pointing.   
Sure enough, as Usagi and the others looked up, the bus was just pulling away from the stop at the corner, and there in front of it stood a very tall, fair-haired blind woman and her familiar animal escort. For a moment, Shinzui froze, and turned her vacant gaze in their direction. With surprise, the girls shrank back against the bricks of the buildings they had just squeezed between, forgetting for the moment that Shinzui would not be able to see them anyway.  
Shinzui did not have to see them. She knew they were there. She could sense the Princess' presence, like a shimmering silver thread running through her conscious mind, and she knew right away that the girls had followed her. Shinzui sighed to herself. I don't want them involved but it's too late now. I suppose I'll just have to do this with an audience. She was grateful that at least all five were together. Hell's Mouth could be a very dangerous place, but she could always defend them if necessary. Straightening her shoulders and setting her face, Shinzui gripped Centauri's harness and began to march down the street.  
Rei sighed with relief as the tall girl turned and began to walk away from them. "I thought for a minute there" she gasped.  
"Me too," Minako added.  
"Guys? I don't think that Shinzui-san is here to meet a man." The other girls turned to Ami in surprise. She was following Shinzui with her eyes, a curiously pensive look on her face.  
"What are you talking about, Ami-chan?" Minako demanded.  
Ami shook her short blue locks. "Did anybody bother to notice where we are?"  
Makoto's eyes clouded as she realized what Ami was saying. "Yeah, I know this place. The kids at my old school used to call it 'Hell's Mouth'." Her crystal green gaze flickered over their surroundings, taking it all in seriously for the first time. The buildings nearby appeared as though they'd been abandoned for years. The front windows were broken, or boarded up, and graffiti in a myriad of colors decorated the bricks and stone. Nearby, a public trash receptacle was surrounded by a small army of cracked glass syringes and blackened spoons, grimy plastic tubing and empty cigarette lighters. They were laying on the ground rather than in the can, as though their former owners had not attempted or cared to ensure that they were properly disposed of. The remnants of a number of shattered bottles glittered darkly along the sidewalks. And then there were the people a scattered, tattered handful of unwashed, unshaven men interspersed here and there along the walls of the dilapidated old buildings. At one corner, a little beyond the bus stop sign, stood a young woman who was probably only about twenty-three but somehow appeared decades older. She was dressed in a garish, revealing short skirt and a bustiere that looked suspiciously like a worn, threadbare lace bra with a few plastic rhinestones glued onto it. Makoto observed all of this in one sweep of the territory, and turned back to her friends. "This place is dangerous," she declared in a low voice.  
"No kidding," Usagi responded, half sarcastic, half fearful, as she too took a look around.   
"Maybe we should just go," Rei suggested, and Minako and Ami both nodded.  
"No!!" The four girls turned to stare at Usagi with surprise. She shook her head as she spoke. "We can't go. Shinzui is here, in this neighborhood, all by herself. I don't know why she'd come to a place like this, but we can't just leave her here alone. She could get hurt."  
Makoto nodded slowly. "Usagi-chan is right," she agreed. "We have to make sure she's all right." The group of girls, after casting a few more apprehensive looks around them, began to follow the blind girl down the sidewalk.  
Centauri led his mistress right to him. The fat little man had his back to them, playing some sort of solitaire game with a stained, shabby deck of playing cards that were spread out on the pavement before him. Shinzui could smell the dealer's sweat and stink from several feet away, and she could feel the chill creeping up within her already. She reached out one long, delicate finger and tapped lightly on the fleshy shoulder.  
"Yeah, yeah. Be with you in a minute," came the raspy response as he waved her away.  
Shinzui's face hardened. She would not wait any longer. She seized the man's shoulder, and there was nothing light or delicate about this touch. He turned around in surprise, and her other arm came up, smashing solidly into the thick planes of his jaw. The rotund dealer went down, cussing in pain and then whimpering with recognition as he caught sight of the towering, pale-haired woman standing over him.  
She spoke, her voice like needles. "I warned you, Bulldog. I distinctly remember telling you to stay the _hell _away from my sister." The uncharacteristic swear word seemed to hang in the air between them, a dark, heavy shadow that spoke of a fury that was scarcely being contained.  
The Bulldog's eyes grew wide with fear. He was not an easily intimidated man, but he had learned the hard way not to underestimate this girl and her temper, like black ice, that shimmered dangerously beneath the surface of that fragile exterior. He curled into a ball defensively as he looked up at her. "I haven't Giseino-san, I swear, I haven't been anywhere near her. I swear!!" The raspy voice had raised about an octave in pitch.  
She was dangling a bag of the stuff in front of him now, her tones frostily menacing. "Then where, may I ask, did she get this?" A little of the white powder spilled from the bag and dusted his nose.  
The dealer shook his head energetically. "Not from me I swear on the soul of my dead mother, I didn't give to her." Shinzui's expression remained frigid, and he wisely chose to tell her everything up front. "She was here this morning. She asked me for some stuff you know how it goes and offered me about three times what it's worth for it too. But I didn't sell to her. I didn't."   
Shinzui regarded him coldly, with stony, sightless eyes. "Who?" The question was low, deadly.  
Bulldog took a deep breath. "The new guy, Hitoshi. Two blocks down." He peered up at her apprehensively, praying that this crazy woman would believe him, and refrain from hitting him again. She seemed to be considering his words carefully, and after a moment, gave a slight nod. It was only then that he remembered to let out the breath he was holding.  
She spun around to go, and the Bulldog spoke up, hesitantly. "You're not going to Giseino-san, he's just a kid. You can't." The blind woman turned back and froze him into silence with her vacant gaze.  
"I'm going to have a little talk with him. That's all." She strode away with her dog by her side, leaving the Bulldog to sit up and examine his jaw in the reflective, broken planes of the store window behind him. It was already beginning to turn purple.  
Shinzui sensed the dark presence from a block away. _Oh, wonderful. Just what we need._ She slipped silently into a nearby alley. Centauri looked up at his mistress with concern, and she smiled grimly down at him. "_Jaki_," she explained with a bitter grin. "But it's all right I'm in the mood for a little head-bashing right now."

Hitoshi looked up as the dark creature came towards him, and his bleary eyes widened. "Whoa cool," the boy slurred, rolling his head to one side. "This is some really good stuff." His voice sounded sleepy or sluggish and it would have been obvious to any casual observer that he was strung out on narcotics. Hitoshi gazed at the black, oily looking monster, his mind too fuzzy to determine if it was real or an illusion. But he'd had lots of 'trips' before, and he knew what to expect from the illusions. So the boy grinned at the oncoming jaki. "Hey there, mister ugly monster." He waved at it.  
The jaki looked down at the small human lying sprawled out on the ground, and its stomach began to rumble again. It was so hungry! "Human juice," the thing hissed excitedly as it shuffled quickly over to the drugged child. It seized the boy in its long, slick arms, and the boy laughed. The evil spirit was confused for a moment. Didn't most humans make lots of loud noise when it drank their juice? This one was smiling, and didn't seem disturbed at all. At least he wasn't fighting, the jaki decided, and sank its fangs into the boy's shoulder.  
"Hey," Hitoshi protested at the sudden pain, and tried to wiggle away. The monster just held tighter, and Hitoshi felt some very strange sensations as his body gradually got colder and his head began to feel very light. "This is some trip, man" he mumbled as the black creature took the last of his blood, and he passed out cold.Dark and cold. Everything was dark and cold. He was floating in it, a sea of black, frigid water, and his shoulder was throbbing painfully. His whole body hurt, as a matter of fact, but it was his head that felt like it was about to explode. Hitoshi moaned as he tried to move his fingers, and then felt panic grip his heart as he realized he couldn't. He couldn't move anything, not his arms, or his legs he couldn't even open his eyes. It was like he'd lost control of his own body, completely, and the boy was filled with terror. _Everyone will think I'm dead, if I can't move. They'll come and haul me away and bury me in a box in the ground and I'll still be alive but I won't be able to tell them! _Hitoshi tried to scream, but could not make his mouth open. Then he was struck by another thought. _What if I am dead? What if this is what death is like?_ He didn't find this thought very encouraging. _I don't want to be dead. I'm not old enough to die yet._  
"How old are you?"  
Hitoshi heard the voice, somewhere above him, but he couldn't look up to see who it was. The voice sounded like little silver bells, cold and furious and somehow also full of pity. A girl's voice. Hitoshi couldn't move his lips, but he suddenly found he didn't need to.  
"I'm ten." Hitoshi heard his own voice speaking, but he'd never opened his mouth. He waited for a moment, a little hopeful that the girl's voice would come back. When it did, it was full of sorrow, and a little anger, and another emotion that the boy couldn't even define.  
"What is a ten-year-old boy doing selling drugs on the streets?" the tinkling voice asked quietly. "Where are your parents?"  
"Dead." There was his voice again, responding without his control or consent. Hitoshi would have frowned if he'd been able. "They stuck me in an orphanage. I ran away. Even life on the streets is better than living in that awful place."  
The silvery voice turned a bit frosty. "You think that using and selling drugs is a better life?"  
Hitoshi got defensive. "Look, you don't know anything, all right? It's money, that's all. Gotta make a living somehow, you know."  
"Oh, is that what you call it?" The bells tinkled sarcastically at him. "A little ironic, don't you think, that you make your 'living' by spreading death to others."  
"I never killed anybody," Hitoshi heard his voice respond angrily. The girl's tone did not change.  
"Yes, you have. Because every time a person puts that poison into their bodies, they die a little inside. You might as well take a gun, put it to their heads, and pull the trigger. It's the exact same thing." The tinkling voice sounded inexpressibly sad now, and Hitoshi could not think of an appropriate response.   
Instead, he heard himself ask, "Am I dead?" His voice sounded very small and frightened, even to himself. For a long moment there was silence. He thought maybe the girl, or whoever it was, had left.  
"Do you want to be?" Her response, when it finally came, was very soft.  
Hitoshi thought about it. There were a lot of times when he'd figured it didn't matter whether he lived or not. No one seemed to care about him, anyway. But still, there were things that he enjoyed about his life. And people he liked. He didn't really want to die not yet, anyway. Not while there was still some hope for a better future. Hitoshi would have shook his head, but his body still would not respond. Instead, he heard his own disembodied voice respond quietly. "No."  
There was another long pause, and then he heard the girl's voice as she took deep breath. "Then you don't have to be. At least, not today. Open your heart, now, and listen." There came another pause, and suddenly he heard her voice again, carrying a completely different tone. "Heavenly Symphony!" A wave of the most beautiful, compelling music washed through the cold darkness that enveloped him. And then, the girl began to sing, in a crystalline, silvery voice. The words struck right to Hitoshi's heart, melting away the coldness there, and restoring his life to him from the inside out.

  
_ "You're flying high, little man  
Seeing things no one else can  
Feet are floating off the ground  
Touch the colors swirling round  
Kiss the smoke, run away  
Only flights in mind today  
**Have you found it yet?**_

_"Where'd you go, pretty boy?  
Looks like you've found a brand new toy  
Magic powder in a bag  
Liquid numbness on a rag  
Brings the darkness, wipes out care  
All the world shines bright and fair  
**Have you found it yet?**_

_"What's the matter, silly guy?  
Having problems getting high?  
Glowing needle, chains of glass  
Poisoned smoke of burning grass  
Eyelids heavy, tortured peace  
You've just put your life on lease  
**Have you found it yet?**_

_"Awfully quiet, foolish knave  
They're tossing dirt into your grave  
Looks like you've found the silence now  
Time to take your final bow  
Is the tranquil calm you sought  
Inside the box addiction bought?  
**Have you found it yet?**"_

As she sang, Hitoshi could feel the warmth spreading through his veins, purging the influence of the drugs, and clearing his fuzzy mind. Slowly, ever so slowly, the control of his muscles was returned to him. By the last verse of her song, he was able to open his eyes, very carefully, and see for the first time the face of the girl who was holding him. She greeted his dark brown gaze with her own silvery one, and smiled as she finished the last verse. Her pale hair, held back from her face in two black clips, fluttered gently against his face. She was wearing a tiara of some sort with a peach stone in it, and a black and peach sailor collar. As Orion sang the last note, her voice faded away quietly, and a serene expression appeared as she helped the ten-year-old boy sit up. Hitoshi was staring at her in astonishment.  
"You're one of the Sailor Scouts!" he exclaimed. Then, looking up, he caught sight of Sailor Moon, and Sailors Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter, who had arrived on the scene right after Sailor Orion had, and dispatched the jaki so that Orion could concentrate her attention on the drugged and drained boy. Hitoshi shook his head as he realized that all these Sailor Senshi had shown up just to save his life, and was suddenly very, very glad that he had chosen to live. The boy gazed up into Sailor Orion's face. "Who are you?" he asked quietly.  
Sailor Orion cocked an eyebrow. "I am Orion," she said, and he recognized the tinkling voice. "And if I ever catch you selling or using drugs again, I'm going to have to punish you. Severely." Hitoshi's chocolate eyes widened a bit. Then the senshi's features softened. "But you don't have to live this way, you know. I have a friend named Shinzui who works at the Banpuku Youth Center."  
Hitoshi tilted his head. "I've heard of that place," he said thoughtfully. "But I never thought"  
"it was a place for someone like you?" Orion finished for him. Hitoshi nodded, a bit sheepishly. Sailor Orion's eyes shone softly with understanding. "But it is for you, and for all children who feel like they have nowhere else to go. I know that Shinzui and the others would love to be able to meet you and get to know you. I want you to go."  
The boy seemed to consider this for a moment, and then he nodded. "All right." He got up from where he had been lying, and pulled his blanket out of the cardboard box he'd been sleeping in. Then he turned back to the bell-voiced senshi. "You think they might let me stay there a while?"  
Orion nodded, with another small smile. "I know they will."

"What do you want?" Lord Narcissus' voice was angry. "Why don't you just leave me alone and let me do my job, Lady Slipper?"  
The mocking feminine laugh could be heard echoing across the deserted plain, as the dark gap in space seemed to swell a little. Lady Slipper's voice responded, saccharine and patronizing. "My dear Narcissus, you don't seem to be doing your job very well. That's why I'm here. I'm only trying to help. You lost another jaki today, didn't you?"  
"That wasn't my fault," Narcissus grumbled. "It was a disfunctional one, that deployed without my consent."  
"The Avatar doesn't want to hear excuses, Narcissus." There was a mocking smile in her tone "He wants results. How much longer do you think he's going to put up with you and your failures?"  
Lord Narcissus was beginning to get annoyed. "Why don't you just go back and play with your little flowers, and leave this to me?" he suggested bitterly.  
"Be careful, Narcissus." A dangerous note entered her voice, one that would have sent chills down the spine of their listeners, had there been anyone in the vast empty field to overhear them. "I am much, much older than you can even begin to imagine. Compared to the Avatar and myself, you're nothing but a mewling infant. And you have no idea what you're dealing with here. If I were you, I'd be very careful."  
Narcissus snorted in derision. "Get to the point, Lady Slipper. What do you want?"  
"Nothing at all, my dear admiral. I came here to give you a bit of very important information about that Sailor Soldier you despise so much. But, of course, if you don't want my help"  
"What 'important information' are you talking about?" Again, Narcissus' tone was suspicious.  
Lady Slipper's menacing smile could be heard in her next few words. "I'm talking about who that pesky Sailor Orion really is. Wouldn't you like to know?"  
Lord Narcissus was suspicious. "How do I know you're going to tell me the truth?" he demanded. "I've got no reasons to trust you. What's in this for you, Lady Slipper?"  
"Oh, there's plenty in it for me, my dear admiral. The word 'revenge' comes to mind." Her voice was dripping with scorn. "But I'm not going to discuss that now. Do you want to know who she is or not?"  
"Tell me."  
There was another bitter laugh. "I'll do better than that. I'll show you." There was a pause, as she held out something for him to take a look at. Narcissus looked, then began to laugh.  
"What is this, a joke? Come on, Lady Slipper, you don't really expect me to believe"  
"I don't care if you believe it or not," Lady Slipper snapped at him. "It doesn't change the fact that this picture is of Orion."  
There was another pause as Lord Narcissus took a second look. "Are you sure?" he questioned dubiously. "This human doesn't look very"  
"I'm sure." Lady Slipper's tones were certain. "I know Orion, Narcissus. I've known her longer than you've been alive. And I am telling you that this is her."  
Narcissus' voice took on a wickedly amused sound. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out, huh?" The black monument beneath the rift in space began to quake as the Negaverse admiral's laughter pealed out over the grassy, vacant plains.

[Back to Part Eight][1]  
[On To Part Ten][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic8.htm
   [2]: fanfic10.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	10. Identities are revealed! Who is the Sens...

Part Ten: Identities are revealed! Who is the Senshi of Orion?

The three robed figures bowed low as she approached them, the thick, steamy mists swirling about her slight figure as she stepped into the eerie blue glow of the electric lights. The heat and pressure in the pipes around them caused all sorts of hissing and clanking sounds, but they were able to hear her voice, clear as a bell, as she greeted them one by one.  
"Guardian Father." She kissed his forehead. "Guardian Friend." A handshake. Then she turned to the central figure, and her voice warmed by a degree. "Guardian Brother." She reached out and pulled him into a hug.  
Demetrius' heart almost stopped as she embraced him. How precious she was to him, this fragile, delicate little thing who possessed such a gentle heart. He'd never known, even since the dawn of time, a person with so much desire to give and share everything of herself with those around her. The Sacred Child was the most sacrificial, unselfish being in the universe, and he could not help but admire and adore her. As she pulled back, he looked straight into her eyes. They were so clear, shining with purity and purpose, and for a moment, he forgot to breathe. She was the most beautiful thing in existence and in a few more short months, it would be his responsibility to destroy her. The thought made him feel sick.  
The Child could sense the myriad of emotions that suddenly filled Guardian Brother like a whirling kaliedoscope of feeling, and she smiled at him in understanding. "Demetrius, my brother. It is good to see you again."  
He was grateful for the deep hood of his golden cloak, which obscured his blushing expression from her view. Of course, he knew that she could sense his emotions without being able to see his face. The Child had always possessed a heightened awareness of the souls around her, particularly those she had spent much time with. Still, he was comforted by the fact that at least she wouldn't be able to see the feelings in his face. He did his best to make his voice calm. "Child. Are you well?"  
She nodded, her pale hair glinting in the bluish light. "I am. And you, Guardians? Are you well?"  
Neophilus cleared his throat, and spoke in that cascading voice that reverberated powerfully against the metal of the surrounding pipes. "We are, Child. But I'm afraid that so far our search for the Silver Dagger has not been successful."  
"My search as well has been less than fruitful," the Sacred Child admitted quietly. "But there is one thing to be grateful for the Negaverse is no closer than we are."  
Guardian Friend spoke then, his tones scarcely louder than a whisper. "How goes the confrontations with the Negaverse _jaki_?" he wanted to know.  
She gave a slight giggle. "Oh, the _jaki _aren't any more of a problem than their commander is," she smiled. "However, I am quickly becoming tired of Lord Narcissus and his ego." The Child grinned.   
Oberon spoke again, in that quiet way. "Child, it would be best if you do not underestimate Narcissus," he reminded her gently. "The Avatar would not choose a completely incompetent servant to head their search for the Dagger. Narcissus may be too proud for his own good, but he is also very powerful and should not be considered lightly."  
The Child's face quickly became grave. "Well said, Guardian Friend. Fear not. I have no intention of underestimating Narcissus' true power." Her voice had lost all its flippancy now, and the Guardians could instantly sense the serious intentions there.  
"Something concerns me," Demetrius spoke up, in subdued tones. "The Avatar has always before sent one of the Sailor Constellations against us. But Narcissus is not a senshi. So it is almost certain that there is someone even more powerful working behind him."  
Neophilus agreed. "We should be on guard," he stated firmly. If I know anything about the Avatar, it's that he's going to do his best to catch us by surprise."  
"Don't worry, Guardian Father." The Child's eyes glittered dangerously. "I know the Avatar, better than anyone else. I know how his mind works. He'll reveal whatever he's planning in his own time we just have to make sure we're ready for it." Then she smiled again. "But I'm not going to worry over it, my friends. The Avatar is cunning, but he works alone, with no one he can trust. We have teamwork on our side. We will find the Dagger in time. We always have."  
Demetrius looked down at the ground sadly, and the Child felt the sudden surge of sorrow that came over him. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "What is it, Guardian Brother?"  
He sighed heavily. "I haven't given up yet, Child. I intend to find the answer before we have to do this again. If I have to spent every waking hour from now until the vernal equinox, buried in the Book of Balance up to my ears, I swear I'm going to find it this time!" His young voice trembled with intensity.  
The Child squeezed his shoulder gently. "Please, Demetrius. Do not do this to yourself. If the answer is found, wonderful. But if not, it will mean nothing more than that my destiny continues. The Sacrifice is no more than I deserve, Demetrius, and you know it."  
Guardian Brother shook his head vigorously. "That's not true, Child. You've more than repaid the evils of the past. Not that the responsibility of repayment was ever yours in the first place."  
Her eyes glinted softly. "If not mine, then whose?" she demanded, her voice quiet and sorrowful. Demetrius, looked down, unable to answer, and the Child smiled sadly. "It was my responsibility. And it still is. It always will be. It was I who brought this upon the Princess and her family, Guardian Brother, and it is only right and just that I be the one to pay the price." She moved her hand from his shoulder to his face, forcing him to look up and meet those fathomless eyes regarding him so openly. "Do not feel sorry for me, Demetrius. No matter what happens to me, it could never be more than I deserve."  
Guardian Friend reached out to take her hand. "I do not think we Guardians will ever be able to agree with you there, Child," he interjected in that whispering voice. "For we observe you from the outside, and from where we stand you have been completely absolved from past crimes. Yet, our viewpoint makes no real difference, for until you feel that the debt has been repaid, you will never be able to forgive yourself. And it is no longer our forgivenss that you need, Child; you have already been given that. You don't need the Princess' forgiveness either, for it was she who was the first to forgive. What you do need is to be able to forgive yourself, and there is not much that the rest of us can do to help you with that."  
The Child nodded at him. "I understand."  
Guardian Father broke in then. "Come now," he said, his authoritative tones bringing them all back to the subject at hand. "If there is nothing else to discuss, we should disperse quickly, before the Avatar senses our gathering."  
Oberon dropped the Sacred Child's hand, and stepped back. "Safe questing, Child," he said to her.  
The Child made a small bow to the three golden robed Guardians. "Safe questing, my friends." She backed away a couple of steps, then turned around and disappeared into the mists. The blue glow of the electric lamps swallowed her up, and she was gone.  
Guardian Father put his hand on Demetrius' shoulder heavily, as the smallest of the Guardians continued to stare down the passageway, long after the Child had vanished. Demetrius sighed, and Neophilus patted his shoulder.  
"Demetrius, you should tell her."  
Guardian Brother looked up at him. "I can't, Neophilus. I can't burden her with my own feelings when she has so much on her shoulders already."  
Oberon shook his head. "What makes you think that she would feel burdened, Demetrius? She is closest to you, after all."  
"But it's no use." Demetrius lowered his head. "The curse cannot be lifted until she forgives herself. And until the curse is lifted, she will never be able to share my feelings." He met Oberon's eyes with a smile of resignation. "I've waited for millennia, Guardian Friend. I can wait a little longer."  
Oberon nodded then, and took Demetrius' other shoulder. "Come on then, Brother. Let's go back." He produced the ancient, leather-bound Book, and opened it. The pages were shimmering, casting a warm golden light into the cold blue of the passageway. The three figures each reached out a hand and placed it on the open pages their forms seemed to glow as the power of the Book enveloped them, and they were gone.

Makoto, reclined against the big red cushions, sat twirling a strand of chestnut hair around her fingers absently. "But you all saw her hit that guy." She sat up, addressing her friends who were seated around the low table. Makoto shook her head, and her green eyes were troubled. "There's something weird about this."  
"What are you talking about, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked, not sounding all that interested in the answer. She was busy applying a new shade of fingernail polish, spreading the festive garnet color over her fingertips with a careful concentration. Luna found herself wishing, for the hundredth time, that Usagi would focus on her homework with such seriousness.  
The brunette's green eyes were thoughful, and she sat up, leaning forward. "Look, I'm a fighter, Usagi-chan. I've been a fighter all my life, ever since I can remember. And you learn to recognize certain things when you've been doing this as long as I have." Her gaze clouded as she recalled the events of the previous day. "Shinzui didn't hit that guy the way most girls would she didn't slap him. She punched him. Across the jaw, using the full force of her body weight I'm telling you, she's not what she seems to be." Makoto shook her head again. "A figher learns to recognize other fighters, guys. And Shinzui, believe it or not, has all the makings of a fighter herself."  
"Oh, Mako-chan, that's silly," Minako giggled, as she finished wrapping a bright red and green Christmas gift. She picked up the red bow that was next to her and placed it artistically on top. Then she looked up at her friend. "Shinzui-san is blind, remember?" she prompted. "You can't honestly tell me you think that fragile young woman has got your fighter's spirit."  
"I'm inclined to agree with Minako-chan on this one, Mako-chan," Ami spoke up softly. She was busy clicking away on her computer, but she looked up to address Makoto. "Shinzui-san is an amazing person, but it is very unlikely, given her obvious physical limitations, that she could be capable of what you suggest."  
Makoto was about to reply when Rei jumped in. "She was mad, Mako-chan. That's all. I mean, we all heard what happened to her sister." Her deep violet eyes met Makoto's intently. "And there's no way that you can tell me you wouldn't have done the exact same thing in her place."  
The brunette sighed, and scuffed at the carpet with her stocking feet. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. She did this exactly the way I would have. And that's not normal."   
Artemis cocked his head curiously. "Just what are you saying, Mako-chan?"  
Makoto looked at the white feline for a moment, and then shook her head yet again. "I'm not sure, Artemis. I just have this feeling that there's more to her than what we see."  
Usagi blew gently on her fingertips to help dry the polish. She gazed over at Makoto with a smile. "Well, I wouldn't make so much of it, Mako-chan," she remarked flippantly. "We don't know enough about Shinzui-san to make any sort of judgement right now."  
Luna stared at her young mistress in disbelief. "Usagi-chan said something reasonable" she wondered, with a slightly exaggerated tone of bewilderment. Usagi glared at her pet and picked up the nearest pillow to toss at her. Then she remembered her still-wet nails and settled for sticking her tongue out at the cat instead.   
Usagi turned back to Makoto, ready to change the subject and move on to something a little more appetizing. "So, Mako-chan," she began with a gleam in her blue eyes, "did you bring us those Christmas cookies like you promised?"  
This question caused Makoto to chuckle, momentarily forgetting her puzzlement over their new friend as she reached into her bag and pulled out a gaily wrapped plate of carefully frosted cookies. The temple room soon became several decibels louder as Usagi, Rei, and Minako all dived for the plate. Makoto managed to rescue a couple of the cookies and delivered them to Ami, who was of course sitting primly and a bit embarassedly as her friends gobbled the holiday sweets. Ami accepted them with a smile of thanks, and turned with Makoto to shake their heads as the other three continued to crunch and munch with enthusiasm. It was obvious there would be no more studying today.

Shinzui paused at her sister's door, listening. She knew that Sachiko did not like to be disturbed when she was painting, but Shinzui was concerned. Sachiko had been brought home from the hospital this morning, back to the little apartment that the two sisters shared. And she hadn't said a word to Shinzui, ever since she'd been taken to the hospital. Not even one. Shinzui was trying to respect her sister's privacy, but she had to make sure that Sachiko was all right. Raising a hand, Shinzui knocked gently on the door.  
There was no response. Everything was silent inside. Shinzui hesitated again, because she very rarely invaded her sister's room without permission but she had to check on her and make sure she was all right. Very, very softly, Shinzui opened the door and entered Sachiko's room.  
"Chiko-chan? It's me" She paused as the scent of paint assailed her nostrils. Sachiko was there, in the middle of her bedroom/studio, standing before her canvas as she always was. For the thousandth time, Shinzui found herself wishing she could see the picture her sister was creating. She walked carefully towards her older sister, being especially wary of the floor, for Sachiko was infamous for leaving random paintbrushes, artwork, dropcloths, open tubes of paint, and other paraphenalia all over her floor at any given time, and Shinzui had learned from experience that it was wise to maintain all caution when traversing Sachiko's room.  
She approached her sister, who still had not said a word to her, and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder. Usually Shinzui could get a sense of the emotions of people she was close to, if she was touching them. And so, very gently, she laid a hand on Sachiko's shoulder, hoping that she wouldn't startle her sister. Sachiko could at times get so involved in her work that she would become completely oblivious to the world around her, and Shinzui didn't want to frighten her. As soon as she made contact with her sister's soft arm, Shinzui could feel it. The tears running silently down her sister's face. There was such a feeling of guilt there, and shame, and Shinzui's heart contracted as she understood why Sachiko had been unable to speak to her before.  
"Oh, Chiko-chan, it's all right it's all right. Come here." The young blind woman took her sister in an embrace, and Sachiko began to sob audibly now.  
"I'm sorry, Zui-chan. I'm so sorry" Sachiko's muffled voice choked through her tears, into the younger girl's shoulder.  
"Shhh," Shinzui soothed, stroking her sister's pale hair. "It's all right, Chiko-chan. It's all right." She continued to comfort her weeping sister as best she could. Shinzui could sense the roiling emotions as they built in intensity.  
Sachiko pulled away to look into her blind sister's face. "Why do you put up with me?" she sobbed. "I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you, and all I ever do is make more problems." Sachiko stepped back, removing Shinzui's touch. "You should just leave me alone, Zui-chan. I'm not worth it."  
"Yes, you are," Shinzui responded firmly, though she did not reach for her sister again. "We are sisters, Chiko-chan. You're my family, and I love you. There is no way I am going to let anything come between us. Not anything." Her vacant eyes were very soft, as she turned to her sister's painting. She knew there was something beautiful, something colorful and expressive on that canvas but she couldn't see it. "Tell me about this one, Chiko-chan. Please."  
Sachiko paused for a moment at the familiar old question, and she had to smile, even through her tears. How many times had her little sister asked her that very thing? Shinzui had always been curious about everything, even more so because she was blind. Sachiko could still remember her sister's dainty, childish voice, brimming with energy and eagerness as she asked her to describe the world around them. Sachiko knew that Shinzui was using the question to distract her from her guilty feelings, but she couldn't help responding, in the same way she always had ever since they were children.  
"It's the sky, at twilight," she responded, her deeper tones taking on the sing-song quality that they always did when describing something for Shinzui. "It begins as a pale yellow, right over the Tokyo skyline, where the sun is setting. The yellow fades slowy to orange, then amber." Sachiko turned to face her painting so she could look at it while speaking. "The amber color gets deeper, darker, and then it becomes a violet color the transition is so subtle that it's impossible to tell where the color change actually takes place. The violet darkens into indigo. There are stars, too, scattered around like the sky has been dusted with glitter."  
Shinzui's unseeing eyes were closed, as she created the picture in her mind. "And the moon?" she asked, almost breathlessly.  
Sachiko smiled. Shinzui had always had an unusual fixation on the moon. It was her favorite part of every description, which was way Sachiko always saved it for last. "The moon is a crescent, a little sliver of silver, pasted into the darkest part of the sky, and shining down on the quieting city with a patient, never-failing light." Sachiko looked up at her sister. "Just like you do, for me."  
Shinzui's empty eyes opened at that comment, but she did not detect any tears in her older sister's voice any longer. She smiled sweetly at Sachiko. "And I always will, Chiko-chan."  
Sachiko took a step forward and put her hands on Shinzui's shoulders. Her gray eyes were grave. "I'm going to make you a promise, Zui-chan. I promise you, right here and now, that I will never take drugs or any narcotics ever again. I will never do this to you again, not ever. I am going to be the sister to you that I have failed to be in the past. And I promise, Zui-chan, that I am never going to hurt you again."  
Shinzui gave her older sister a hug. "As long as you're not hurting yourself, Chiko-chan, you won't be hurting me." She planted a kiss on the shorter girl's pale head. "I love you, my sister." Then she pulled back a little. "Listen, Chiko-chan, I have to go there are some friends I promised to meet. Will you be all right?"  
Sachiko nodded. "Go, Zui-chan, and have a good time." She smiled as her little sister left the room, picking her way across the floor carefully, and calling for Centauri. Sachiko shook her head as she watched her go. _The best sister in the world. That's what she is. The very best in the world._

Outside Tokyo, in the barren, empty field that stretched for miles along the barren, empty highway, the black stone monument was buzzing. The monument was a facinating thing, in a grotesque sort of way; about six feet tall, and covered in odd carvings and incriptions that were more ancient than the land it stood upon. It was made of a cold, obsidian stone, that was too dark to be marble, and too cold to be granite. The color of the monument was a pure black, so pure it made one's eyes ache to look upon it. And this monument, the birthplace of the jaki, was vibrating again as it prepared for another summoning.  
The dark hole in space, suspended magically above the surface of the black stone, seemed to be just a little bigger than it had been a few days ago. The edges stretched and swelled as cold laughter poured out into the silent field.   
"Well, Lady Slipper, we're about to find out if your intuition is correct," Narcissus sneered. His comment was followed by a chilling feminine giggle. Lord Narcissus then called for his evil spirit. "Come out, my _jaki_!"  
With a sizzle, another drop of the greasy black liquid struck the monument's smooth rectangular surface, and the liquid began to expand. Within a few seconds, a new _jaki _was standing before them, glistening darkly and baring its smooth white fangs. This creature had three feline ears atop its lizard-like skull, and the ears twitched this way and that as the monster addressed its master. "_Jaki _here, Lord Narcissus."  
There was a menacing growl from the Negaverse admiral. "Now you listen to me very carefully, _jaki_. Do you have the picture?"  
The monster nodded as it produced the small papery square in its claws. "_Jaki _have picture."  
"Good." Narcissus chuckled blackly. "Now, we want that human. You are NOT to take that human's juice, you understand? You will find that human, and lure it to the place we told you about. Use any means necessary but do not fail me."  
The creature grunted. "_Jaki _will not fail," it hissed with determination.  
Lady Slipper's mocking laugh could then be heard from the other side of the gap in the air. "Then go, little spirit. Go and fetch that human."  
Tucking the photograph away carefully, the monster turned and rolled off the monument. It bounced once into the grass, then again, a little bit higher; and on the third bounce the black ball rose into the air and began its flight towards the city.   
"There's still a problem, Lady Slipper."  
"What's that, my dear admiral?" Her voice was sarcastic.  
Lor Narcissus grumbled. "That Sailor Orion has an attack that I can't overcome that musical thing she does. I lose all my strength when she uses that Sphere of hers. Even when we capture her, how are we going to defeat her?"  
"You mean, how are you going to defeat her," Lady Slipper corrected imperiously. "I'm not going to be there. This is your little project, remember?" Then another note of amusement entered her voice. "But fear not, Narcissus. I'll lend you a little something, just for today, that will help."  
"What's this?" Narcissus wanted to know, a bit contemptuously. "Another one of your pretty little flowers? Come on, now, Lady Slipper. How is this supposed to help anything?"  
Lady Slipper giggled. "Don't mock it until you've tried it, my Lord. That's no ordinary flower. Just carry it with you, and you'll see Sailor Orion's little musical attack won't even touch you."  
Two harmonizing peals of cruel glee shrieked out over the grasslands. The Negaverse was going to win this one.

Shinzui's head snapped up in alarm. _A _jaki_! And right under our noses? How on earth did it manage to get into the Banpuku Center without my detecting it? _She tilted her head towards her young friends. Usagi, and Rei were busily playing with the foozball table, with Chibiusa cheering them on, and Minako was absorbed in an arcade game over in the corner. Makoto had opted for the set of freeweights at the back of the room, and was doing benchpresses. None of them had a clue as to the dark presence, not even Rei, who was too focused on beating Usagi to pay attention. _Maybe there's still time _She rose to her feet abruptly, gripping Centauri's harness.  
Ami looked up with concern from the chess game she and Shinzui were playing. "Is something wrong, Shinzui-san?"  
Shinzui shook her head, almost impatiently. She had to get out of here. "No, Ami-chan. Everything is fine. I just have to" But she didn't get to finish her sentence. The door was broken off its hinges as the evil spirit charged into the room. _Oh no._  
The _jaki _grinned when it caught sight of the blind girl. "You come with me," it demanded, beginning to walk towards Shinzui.  
Makoto had dropped the weighted bar back into its holders as soon as the monster had made its rather ungraceful entrance, and she rose to her feet, glaring at the creature defiantly. "Back off, creep," she warned the _jaki_, and the other five young girls also went to stand behind her, all six staring the _jaki_ down. "Shinzui-san is a friend of ours. You'd better leave her alone."  
The spirit did not seem terribly impressed. It did not even bother to answer, just opened its mouth and fired a blast of dark power at the cluster of girls.  
"Look out!" Shinzui bellowed in a very uncharacteristic tone, and she dove for Usagi, snatching the tiny blonde into her arms and rolling her out of the way. Usagi blinked up at the blind girl in confusion for a moment, and then her face set with determination.   
"It's all right, Shinzui-san. We can take care of this thing." She smiled up at the tall, pale haired girl, as she stood up. "See, my friends and I we're the Sailor Scouts." Almost instantly, Usagi regretted her words. _Me and my big mouth!_ She didn't even know why she'd said that, but there was this odd feeling she got around Shinzui, and she knew that their secret would be safe with the gentle girl. However, there was no time for contemplation now. She had to stop the _jaki_. She grasped the brooch on her school uniform, and turned to nod at Chibiusa, who was also gripping her little pink brooch.  
"Cosmic Moon Power, MAKE UP!!" The light from the Silver Imperium Crystal was blinding, as it enveloped the petite Sailor Leader and her future child. An instant later, there were two Sailor Soldiers standing in their places. And they were quickly joined by four more as Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus also transformed. The Sailor Team turned to face the evil spirit in unision.  
"Pick on our friends, will ya?" Sailor Venus taunted the creature. "Come on, then, ugly I am Sailor Venus, champion of Love and Beauty, and in the name of friendship, I will punish you!"  
The other Sailor Soldiers also made similar introductions, but Shinzui was not paying attention. _I have to help them. Centauri Where is Centauri?_ She stood up and reached out with her hands to find the edge of the foozball table. "Centauri! Where are you?" she called softly. After a moment, she felt a wet nose bump her leg, and she reached down to take hold of the familiar leather harness.   
"Shinzui-san," Centauri said quietly. "You can't-not yet. That _jaki _didn't attack you, he was interested in taking you someplace, remember? Lord Narcissus is up to something here. You have to find out what it is."  
Shinzui shook her head. "I don't care what it is. I've got to help the Princess." She raised her arm and pushed back her sleeve, revealing a gold bracelet that was set with a large, oval, peach-colored stone. But the _jaki_'s hissing voice stopped her.  
"You come with me," it insisted, and Shinzui froze in surprise. Where were the Sailor Senshi? Weren't they still attacking it? For a moment, panic welled within her as she reached out with her deeper senses to locate her friends. They were safe She could sense the Princess' irritation, but she knew she was safe, and Shinzui let out a sigh of relief. But she could also sense something else. All six Sailor Scouts had been chained together with a stream of dark energy, and they could no longer defend themselves. _Lord Narcissus must want me very badly if he's got the nerve to do this, _Shinzui mused. She nodded imperceptibly at Centauri, who was still regarding her with a question in his canine eyes. She would wait.  
Shinzui turned to face the dark spirit. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she said quietly, her voice like icicles, and her face disturbingly serene.  
The creature frowned at the tall blind girl. "You come. Or I hurt them." It twisted around and sent a small bolt of dark energy at the group of captured Scouts. They could not help crying out as the black electrical power burned their skin, and Shinzui's face hardened. She stared coolly at the jaki, her sightless eyes like fathomless frozen lakes.    
"Very well. I will go."  
"Shinzui-san, don't!" Sailor Mars called out, receiving another blast from the Negaverse creature for her efforts. But the blind girl merely smiled coldly.  
"It's all right, girls," she said, and her tones were frigid. The _jaki _yanked on its end of the black power chain, and the Sailor Scouts were dragged towards the door. Shinzui followed behind, still holding Centauri's harness, and taking steps that were firm, deliberate, and dangerous. Sailor Jupiter, who was at the very end of the train of linked Scouts, elbowed Sailor Mercury, who was in front of her. She indicated the young blind woman behind them.  
"What did I tell you?" Jupiter smugly pointed out to the blue Senshi. "Shinzui-san is a fighter."

"Haruka look!" Michiru grabbed Haruka's arm and pointed.  
The sandy-haired racer followed her partner's finger, and saw a most unusual and infuriating sight. Another one of those pesky _jaki _things had Sailor Moon and all the other Scouts chained up in a line, and was parading them down the middle of the street, blasting all onlookers who got too heroic with its black lightning bolts. But the thing that caught her attention the most was the tall girl and her golden retriever, who were following behind. Haruka's gray eyes narrowed. "What the-- I knew it!" she growled. "I knew that girl was up to no good." She reached into her jacket for her henshin pen. But Michiru's hand stopped her.  
"Not yet, Haruka. Look at her. She doesn't look too pleased with the situation. Shinzui-san may not be in on all this. We should follow them and find out first, before we jump to conclusions."  
Haruka nodded reluctantly. "Okay, fine. We follow them. But I swear, if that blind girl is a part of this, I'm going to"  
"I know." Michiru met her partner's eyes with a slight smile. "I'm going to try and contact Mamoru on the way, and let him know what's going on. He will want to be here too." The aqua-haired musician and her blonde friend began to follow the jaki down the street, and Michiru flipped out her communicator.   
"_Konnichiwa_, Mamoru-san. There's something you're going to want to see"

The _jaki_ led them into an old warehouse on Eighth Street. Shinzui knew precisely where they were; she passed this building every morning on her way to the university. She still wasn't sure what Narcissus was up to, but it was becoming clear that whatever it was, he wanted to get her alone. _He must know._ Shinzui was certain. _He wouldn't be after me like this if he didn't know. But Lord Narcissus isn't clever enough to figure it out by himself. So who told him?_  
They entered the warehouse, and the Sailor Scouts blinked and stumbled as their eyes were forced to adjust to the sudden darkness. Of course, it didn't bother the blind girl, who was led by her golden retriever into the center of the large, vacant warehouse. The _jaki_ stopped, hurling the captured Sailor Scouts into a corner. It turned around to face Shinzui.  
Shinzui's expression remained stony. "What do you want?" she demanded of the creature.   
But instead of a reply, the black creature's form began to shimmer. A shock of lavender hair appeared, followed by a violet eye and a black satin eyepatch sparkling with purple gems. The rest of Lord Narcissus then shimmered into being, right down to the tight pants and black boots. The Sailor Scouts gasped.  
"Lord Narcissus!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.   
Sailor Jupiter glared at him. "I don't know what you think you're doing, Narcissus, but when I get out of this"  
The Negaverse admiral regarded the captured Scouts with something akin to glee. "Well, well, for once a _jaki _finally did something right. I have myself a whole flock of Sailor brats." Narcissus chuckled to himself, and turned to face Shinzui. "Now then, little lady, time for us to have a fair fight." He took a step towards the blind girl.   
But he was stopped by a _swoosh! _A rose embedded itself into the floor in front of the lavender Lord, and Narcissus looked up to see Tuxedo Kamen and Sailors Uranus and Neptune, standing perched on the upper walkway above them. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" both Sailor Moon and Sailor ChibiMoon cried happily at the same time.  
Narcissus growled deep in his throat as he caught sight of the new arrivals. "Back off, Sailor scum. I'm not after you. It's your little friend I want."  
"Shinzui is not a part of this," Tuxedo Mask insisted, leaping from the walkway and landing on the ground between Narcissus and the blind girl. He rose to his feet, brandishing his cane defensively. "Your fight is with us, not her. Leave her alone."   
Lord Narcissus stared at Tuxedo Mask in disbelief. Then he began to laugh. He laughed and laughed, and the other Scouts frowned in confusion. Neptune and Uranus took the opportunity to join Tuxedo Mask on the floor. Sailor Uranus wasn't too thrilled with the idea of defending Shinzui from anyone, but Uranus was, after all, a Sailor Senshi. _If Narcissus wants this girl, she must be important somehow. We've got to find out what he wants._ She glared at Narcissus, who was still chortling with mirth. "What's so funny?" she demanded gruffly.  
"Why, you don't know, then," He chuckled again. "She hasn't told you. Oh, that is too rich!"   
"What are you talking about?" Sailor Mars wanted to know from behind them.  
"I don't care what he's talking about," Sailor Neptune spoke up. Uranus turned to her partner with a look of surprise. Neptune herself was a bit startled by her own defensive instincts. But she liked Shinzui. She admired her as a musician and a remarkable artist, and she was not about to let Narcissus or anyone else harm the young blind girl. Neptune raised her fist. "Deep Submerge!" she cried, and her watery, planet-shaped burst of power charged towards the caped admiral.  
Narcissus leapt into the air, and the attack passed right beneath him. When he landed, there was a proud smirk on his face. "My turn now," he crowed, and sent a stream of pale purple, crackling energy that rose into the air. It formed a ring, hanging suspended above their heads, and then prepared to drop down on Tuxedo Mask and the other two Scouts.   
"Look out!" Sailor ChibiMoon called to them in alarm. The six restrained Scouts struggled against the dark chains that bound them, trying to help their friends.  
"That's enough, Narcissus."  
The room suddenly went completely silent as Shinzui's soft, musical voice filled the room. Narcissus' eyes widened at the authoritative ice in her tone. Shinzui stood defiantly, staring the Negaverse admiral down with vacant eyes.   
_How did she know his name? _Sailor Uranus turned with a frown to get a look at the blind girl, who was pushing up her sleeve. There was a bracelet on her wrist, with some kind of fancy stone on it Uranus thought it looked a bit familiar, but she could not figure out where she'd seen it before.  
Shinzui's voice filled the entire warehouse with bell-like tones. "You want a fight with me, Narcissus? You shall have one. But I'm warning you; I'm not going to go so easy on you this time." The blind girl held her bracelet towards her guide dog. "Centauri?"  
The golden retriever sighed. He still didn't think this was a good idea, transforming like this in front of the other senshi. But Shinzui was in charge, she always had been. Centauri cleared his throat, and then he shouted, "Orion Constellation Power, MAKEUP!!" Two pale beams of colored light emanated from the dog's eyes, and concentrated themselves on the apricot-colored stone in his mistress' bracelet. Shinzui closed her eyes.  
The power caused the large oval stone to glow, and the glow spread out around the blind girl's body like a glimmering cloud, lifting her feet right off the floor. A melody filled the room, a melody which the Sailor senshi recognized as the tune played by the Orion Music Sphere during Sailor Orion's attacks. The Scouts watched, breathlessly, as a white leotard appeared around Shinzui's slim figure, followed by a black pleated miniskirt, a black collar, and peach-colored bows. The black boots with their impossibly high heels materialized around the slender legs and ankles, and the pale hair was suddenly released from the neat bun at the base of her neck. For a moment her face was lost in a swirl of silvery, flowing tresses, and then two black clips appeared, neatly sweeping the hair back out of the way. Her arms were crossed in front of her, the stone in her bracelet pulsing with light and music, and long white gloves with their black edging formed on her hands and arms. The golden tiara with its single shimmering peach stone was then visible, and Sailor Orion raised her arms above her head in a perfect arc, turned in the air once, and then landed back on the ground in a crouching, defensive position. All this time, her eyes had been closed. But now, as the last strains of melody faded away, Sailor Orion opened her eyes. No longer were they the vacant, soft gray gaze of the blind girl. They glittered with silver sparks, shining dangerously, and despite all his bravado, Narcissus felt a chill as those metallic eyes fastened themselves to him.  
Orion rose to her feet slowly, purposefully, and faced the Negaverse Lord. "All right then, Narcissus," she sneered at him. "Just to be fair, I'll let you take the first shot."  
Sailor Jupiter twisted around to look at her sister Scouts, who were chained with her. "I told you," she gloated. "I told you there was something different about her." Sailor Mars stuck her tongue out at Jupiter.  
Sailor Uranus took a step towards Sailor Orion. "It's you," she breathed in astonishment. "I don't believe it."  
"I hate to break up this lovely little moment, Miss Orion, but I do believe you promised me a fight."  
Sailor Neptune moved forward to stand with Orion, but Sailor Orion held up a hand. She met Neptune's aquamarine eyes warningly. "It's my fight, Neptune," she said softly, her voice tinkling. "Thank you for your support, but I have to do this myself."  
Neptune looked like she was about to ignore Orion's words and attack Narcissus anyway. But Sailor Uranus put a hand on her arm, and shook her head. Sailor Neptune turned to look at her partner's face, and Uranus smiled grimly at her. "Orion's right," she said firmly, her deep voice sounding almost rough. "If she wants to take Narcissus on alone, we should let her."  
"Enough!!" Narcissus bellowed impatiently, and he sent a bolt of lavender negative energy at Sailor Orion, which she easily dodged. "No more talking. I'm going to finish you this time, Miss Orion."  
Sailor Orion cocked an eyebrow at him. "We'll see," was all she replied, and she rolled away as another burst of dark power came after her. She had rolled towards Narcissus rather than away from him, however, and when she was close enough, swept one leg around beneath him so that Narcissus was knocked to the floor. Both of them rose to their feet, eyeing one another warily.  
Orion allowed Narcissus to take a few more shots at her with his crackling energy attacks, dodging them all but making quite sure that her movements never placed any of the other Scouts in danger. Uranus watched this display with a grudging respect. Orion was good. She was very good.   
Finally, Narcissus mangaged to get one of his attacks to make contact with the colossal Sailor Scout, as the electric negative energy caught her by the shoulder and Sailor Orion was knocked backwards into a piece of dusty, sheet-covered manufacturing equipment along the side of the warehouse room. The Negaverse admiral cackled with glee, and Orion grunted as the searing pain shot through her shoulder, nearly paralyzing her arm. In a way she welcomed the pain, the good old familiar discomfort that had been the trademark of all her lifetimes. Now the fight was really beginning  
"Orion!" Sailor Moon shrieked, watching helplessly as the pale-haired Scout was sent crashing into the equipment. Sailor Orion looked up, and the expression of worry and concern on her Princess' face changed her mind. It would be better not to drag this fight out, not when the Princess had to watch it. There was nothing Orion liked more than a good long fight, but she didn't want to cause any more worry than was necessary.   
Sailor Orion stood up carefully, relishing the burning pain that shot through her body. She fastened that silvery stare on Narcissus again, and she summoned her Orion Sphere. The glass orb appeared before her, glowing softly, and the symbol on its side was illuminated with dusky peach-colored light. Orion raised her hand above her head. "Heavenly Symphony!" she sang. The beautiful, familiar melody filled the warehouse, dissolving the cords of black energy that had held the first six Sailors prisoner. But Narcissus just stood there, grinning at her.  
"Nice try, Miss Orion. But your weak little powers can't touch me anymore." He reached inside the folds of his open shirt, and pulled out a small white flower. He waved it in Sailor Orion's face.   
Orion took one look at the flower, and her eyes narrowed in recognition. Narcissus had some bigger allies than she'd thought. "A lady's slipper. So that's how you knew," she commented to the purple-clad admiral. "I knew there was no way you'd figured out by yourself who I am. So let me guess she told you that her little blossom would protect you from me."   
Narcissus smirked at her. "You can't win this one, Sailor brat. Your ridiculous music doesn't affect me a bit." He crossed his arms and regarded her tauntingly.  
Sailor Orion raised an eyebrow. "Come now, Narcissus. Surely you don't think that 'Heavenly Symphony' is the only trick I've got up my sleeve." Her eyes scoffed at him, and for a moment, Lord Narcissus felt a little less confident. But he waved the flower again.  
"You're bluffing," he declared, in a voice that bespoke of more than a little uncertainty.   
"Am I? Shall we find out?"  
Narcissus gazed at her for a moment, but then his ego got the better of him. "Fine." He raised his hand and sent another streak of lavender lightning towards the silver-eyed senshi. She sidestepped the attack as it whizzed harmlessly past her, and then spun back to face her adversary once more. All amusement was gone from her face.   
"Princess, I suggest that you and the other Senshi take cover," she declared, all the while keeping her liquid gaze on Narcissus. "This is going to be a little explosive."   
Sailor Moon just stared at her in bewilderment, and it was Sailor Mars who grabbed her arm. "_Baka_, she said take cover," Mars grumbled as she yanked Sailor Moon behind a row of stacked metal barrels along with the other Senshi. Tuxedo Kamen joined them. Sailor Uranus hesitated, still wanting to keep a close eye on Orion, but Neptune took her arm. Uranus reluctanly allowed herself to be led behind the barrels with the others, though she insisted on standing right by the edge where she could still have a close view of what Sailor Orion was about to do.  
Once Orion was satisfied that her friends were safe, she turned back to Narcissus. The tall Sailor Senshi crossed her arms in front of her.  
"Orion" Her Music Sphere began to glow. "Mini" A small glass sphere seemed to bud off from the larger one. It was about the size of a golf ball, and bore the Orion symbol on its side. Sailor Orion held out one hand, and the little globe came to rest in her palm. "Sphere" The miniature Sphere began to glow even brighter, until it was so bright that Uranus had to look away from it. Energy flowed from Sailor Orion's fingertips into the little orb, making it glow steadily brighter. When Orion decided it was powerful enough, she gripped the small ball of light in her hand, and pulled it back, ready to throw. "Detonation!!" And she threw the tiny radiating sphere directly at Lord Narcissus.  
It was difficult to determine exactly what happened next. To Sailor Uranus and the other Scouts it seemed as if the world had exploded. Uranus threw herself flat to the ground, and the other Sailor Senshi also found themselves face down with their hands over their heads. A wave of heat washed above them, and they could hear the clanking and crashing as the metal barrels, which probably weighed a couple hundred pounds apiece, were tossed every which way. The roof of the warehouse above them creaked and groaned, and finally came down, with random burning pieces falling all around them, and the heavy metal walkway fell with a loud booming like thunder. After a few seconds, things seemed to be finished flying around over their heads, and so Sailor Moon ventured to put her head up. Sailor Orion still stood there, completely unaffected and unfazed by the blast. The warehouse's walls were no longer even existent, and the sun shone down on them brightly so that she had to squint. At first, Sailor Moon couldn't even see Lord Narcissus.   
A pile of blackened rags lying in the midst of a pile of rubble made a strange sound, though, and as it moved, Sailor Moon could see that it was indeed the Negaverse Lord. He was having a very hard time just moving the hair out of his eyes, and he coughed hoarsely. Sailor Moon felt sorry for him.  
Orion crossed her arms and stared at Narcissus. "Well?" she challenged.  
With another cough and a groan of pain that he tried unsuccessfully to suppress, Narcissus rose to his feet. "Is that the best you can do?" he choked out, doing his best to make his voice sound defiant.  
Sailor Orion raised an eyebrow. "No, actually, it's not. That Mini-Sphere was only charged to about one-tenth of its full capacity. Would you like to try something a little stronger?" she wondered with a snide grin.   
Narcissus coughed again, and glared at the tall senshi. "I'm coming back for you, Orion," he growled at her. "We are not finished yet." His form shimmered as he left the jaki's body, and the unfortunate creature melted into a puddle of black goo right then and there, disappearing into the ground.  
Sailor Orion looked over at where Sailor Moon and the other Scouts were still lying, flattened, on the ground, and staring at her in utter amazement. She nodded to them as she assured herself that they were all unhurt, and then without a word, raised her bracelet, pressed the peach stone, and vanished out of sight.   
Sailor ChibiMoon sat up, gingerly rubbing a spot on her behind that had been struck by a piece of the falling roof, and she shook her head in bemusement. "I don't believe it! Shinzui-san is Sailor Orion. Boy, is this going to make piano lessons interesting." She met Sailor Moon's eyes, and her future mother nodded. They were definitely going to have to call a Scout meeting, right away.

[Back to Part Nine][1]  
[On to Part Eleven][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic9.htm
   [2]: fanfic11.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	11. Help from the Senshi of Death! The Globe...

Part Eleven: Help from the Senshi of Death! The Globe of Stolen Time

"It didn't work, Lady Slipper." The angry tones of the Negaverse admiral blared out over the empty grassland. "Orion is still free."  
"Well, of course she's still free, my dear Lord. It's going to take a lot more power than what you've got to bring Sailor Orion in." Lady Slipper's saccharine voice was tinged with amusement.  
"If you knew that, then why did you let me go after her?" Narcissus demanded in fury.  
Another tinkling peal of laughter. "Because, Lord Narcissus, I wanted you to realize how much you need my help."  
Lord Narcissus growled. "If I need help so much, then why did the Avatar put _me_ in charge of this mission, Lady Slipper? As I recall, he didn't ask you to do it."  
Lady Slipper's sugary voice turned venomous. "You really don't know anything, do you? Be careful, Narcissus. I can be a great ally or a very dangerous enemy."  
There was a snort of derision. "I'm not afraid of you, Lady Slipper."  
"Your funeral," came the pragmatic response, which Narcissus chose to ignore.  
"Well, I don't need your help, Lady Slipper, anymore. I'm going to get rid of that obnoxious Sailor Orion once and for all I don't have to kill her, as long as I get her out of the way." Narcissus chuckled to himself.  
Lady Slipper's derisive tones made the dried grass beneath the monument shiver. "It doesn't matter what you try, Narcissus. I'm telling you, you can't defeat her."  
"I don't have to defeat her." There was a pause in the conversation as Lord Narcissus apparently held something up for Lady Slipper to see.  
"What on earth is that?" she wanted to know.  
Narcissus chuckled. "This is a little present from my friend Sailor Libra."  
"Sailor Libra has no friends, Narcissus. You should know that."   
"Oh, he has friends when it suits his purpose. Libra hates those pesky Sailor brats too. He gave me this little toy here. And with it, I can get Sailor Orion out of my way for good, and maybe the others as well. With all of them trapped in here, there won't be anyone to stop me from having my _jaki_ drain the entire city! We'll find the Silver Dagger in a matter of hours."  
Lady Slipper began to laugh again. "If you say so, Narcissus," she giggled, "but you're gravely underestimating the Sailor Senshi. Even Sailor Libra's power cannot match theirs. But by all means, try it. It shall be amusing to watch you fail."  
Lord Narcissus growled again. "You'll watch all right, Lady Slipper. And when I have the Silver Dagger in my hands"  
"I shall bow before you and kiss your feet, my dear Admiral." The mocking tone was unmistakable. "I shall beg your forgiveness for my weak faith in your superior abilities."  
This time Narcissus ignored her. "Come out, my _jaki_!"  
The greasy black liquid oozing about the edges of the expanding hole in space began to gather at his command. A dark drop formed, and fell from the hole's edge to strike the cold ebony surface of the monument. The gel-like substance expanded, swelling and bulging and growing taller, and slowly took on a shape. The _jaki_ that was formed had the same glistening black skin as its predecessors, and possessed three braidlike extentions from its head. This evil spirit turned to face the darkness beyond the hole from which he had come.   
"_Jaki_ here, Lord Narcissus."  
"I want you to find me the human known as Giseino Shinzui. Do not attack her; just locate her for me. I will take care of the rest."  
"Human juice?" the creature inquired hungrily, licking its lips.  
"Not hers. You can take the blood from any other human you choose, but not hers. I want her completely unharmed, you understand?"  
The creature nodded with a grin. "_Jaki_ understand." It rolled off the monument, forming its ball-like shape, and bounced three times in the grass before flying into the sky, arching toward the Tokyo skyline.   
Lord Narcissus chuckled again. "Yes you just watch me, Lady Slipper. I'm going to get all those annoying brats, and the Silver Dagger, despite what you think."  
"If you say so." Lady Slipper giggled once more. 

  


Michiru looked at her friend with a smile. "What is it, Haruka? You seem rather cheerful today."  
Haruka blushed a bit, keeping her eyes on the road as she drove. "It's kind of silly," she admitted sheepishly.  
"What's silly?"  
Haruka gave that familiar half-smile. "Well, I guess I'm just glad that Shinzui and Sailor Orion are the same person."  
"Why's that?" Michiru wanted to know.  
Haruka's eyes darkened, just a little, as she considered this. "Well, it's sort of a relief, you know?" she shook her head slightly. "I mean, for a while there I thought I must be crazy, just hating people at random. It's kind of nice to know that it's really only one person that I don't like." Haruka sighed. "Even if I still have no idea why I feel this way."  
The aqua-haired girl gazed at her partner with affection. "I know you, Haruka. You've got good instincts. I mean, we don't really know anything about Sailor Orion, do we? For all we know she could be our enemy."  
Haruka gave a quick sideways glance over at her passenger, and smiled again. "That's nice of you to say, Michiru, but I saw you leap to defend her from Narcissus yesterday. I know you don't really think she's an enemy."  
Michiru shook her head slowly. "Well, no, I don't," she said softly. "But I've known you longer, Haruka. And I have more faith in you than in her. So if you say there's something wrong"  
Haruka sighed. "But that's just it. I'm not even sure that there IS anything wrong. It's just that every time I see her I feel like hitting her. More than that. I feel like I want to kill her." Her short sandy locks shook back and forth. "I don't understand it, Michiru. And" She stopped.  
"And it scares you," Michiru finished for her, knowing that her friend would never admit it on her own. Haruka didn't even look at her, or acknowledge the statement, but she didn't deny it either. Michiru smiled gently. "I know you're worried, Haruka. But like you said, it really is only one person who makes you feel this way so there has to be some reason for it, even if we don't know what it is. Try not to think about it so much, all right?"  
Haruka smiled at her again, one of her rare genuine smiles, that was free of sarcasm, and she nodded. They rode in silence for a while along the sea-cliffs with no particular destination, the tires of the little yellow convertible flying over the pavement and the sound of the waves and the wind seeming to unite the souls of the two girls without a word.

Usagi looked up at Mamoru, from the couch in his little apartment, and she smiled at him sweetly. "So, Mamo-chan, what are we going to do this afternoon?" Her voice was even higher and more childlike than usual, because being with Mamoru always made her feel super _kawaii_. She opened her blue eyes as wide as she could and batted them at him.  
Mamoru grinned at her. "Well, I thought we might go to the new history museum that just opened a couple blocks from here. It's full of artifacts from different periods of history all around the world." At Usagi's frown, Mamoru chuckled. "It will be fun, Usako. I promise not to give you a test afterwards."  
Usagi looked up into those perfect, crystalline eyes framed with soft dark hair, and she forgot about protesting. Her heart skipped a beat, and she sighed happily, hugging her tall boyfriend with enthusiasm. "Okay, Mamo-chan. I guess I don't care where we go, as long as I get to be with you." She pulled back to look into those incredible eyes again. They were so close Usagi closed her eyes as Mamoru leaned down to kiss her.  
The phone rang. Mamoru straightened abruptly, almost embarrassedly, and with an apologetic glance towards Usagi, went to answer the phone. Usagi opened her eyes, and glared at the offending telephone for ruining her kiss.  
"Hello? Oh, Shinzui-san!"  
Usagi's eyes widened at the mention of Shinzui's name, as she couldn't help a flashback of the blind girl, flashing a golden bracelet, opening her silvery eyes She walked over to Mamoru to listen.  
"Uh yes, she is here, Shinzui-san. Sure." Mamoru handed the reciever to Usagi. "She wants to speak to you."  
Usagi took the phone. "Hello?"  
"Hello, Princess Serenity." There was a brief pause. "Did I interrupt something?"  
Usagi's eyes widened. "How did you-I mean, no. No, of course not."  
Shinzui's tinkling laughter came over the line. "Oh, it's all right, Princess. I would never tell." Usagi could almost see the blind girl winking at her, and she blushed. Shinzui's giggles subsided. "Listen, I'm calling because I think that you and I and Prince Endymion should have a talk together. Is there someplace we could meet?"  
Usagi frowned. "Well, Mamo-chan and I are having a date today," she said a bit petulantly.  
"Oh, Princess, I'm sorry. I hate to interrupt you, but this really is terribly important. We need to talk." Shinzui's tones were soft, and Usagi could almost feel the genuine regret in them. Usagi felt nearly hypnotized by the sincerity in the older girl's voice.   
Before she knew what she was saying, she responded, "Well, Mamo-chan and I were going to the new history museum this afternoon. Why don't you come see us there?"  
Mamoru's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and his jaw dropped. Usagi was inviting someone else on their date? That never happened!! She was the one who always became terribly upset if anyone was intruding upon their time together. He could hardly believe what he had just heard.   
"Are you sure it's all right with the prince?" Shinzui wanted to know.  
Usagi looked up at Mamoru. "It's okay with you, right?" she asked, and Mamoru nodded numbly, still surprised. But he didn't mind seeing the blind girl today. He liked Shinzui, and he too knew that it was important for them to talk. Usagi spoke into the phone again. "He says it's all right." Then she frowned with a new question. "Shinzui-san, why is it that you're always calling me 'princess'? I wish you'd just call me Usagi like everyone else."  
Shinzui's voice was gentle, but her intent was undeterminable as she answered. "That is something that would take far too long for me to fully explain. I'll just say that you will always be Princess Serenity to me. I will forever think of you that way."   
Usagi was still confused, but Mamoru gently took the phone from her hand. "All right, Shinzui-san. We'll meet you at the museum in a half hour. Okay. See you then. Bye." Mamoru hung up the phone, and turned to Usagi with a twinkle in his eye. "Before we leave, we might as well finish what we started." And he took her in his arms.

Usagi gazed at the statue with a sense of awe. "Wow, Mamo-chan. It's so pretty."  
"It is," Mamoru agreed as he too observed the ancient marble, carved in the shape of a young woman carrying a water jug on her head. "Can you believe this statue is over three thousand years old?"  
"I remember watching Pytharian carve that statue." The musical voice caused the young man and his girlfriend to turn around. Shinzui was running her fingers over the Braille section of the plaque that was posted on the wall near the statue. She smiled as her fingertips read the information there: _Woman with a Jug, sculpture in marble. From Greece, approximately 1000 B.C. Artist unknown._ "More like 986 B.C.," she commented with a giggle. "And poor Pytharian would be devastatated if he knew that they've forgotten his name He was always so proud of his work."  
Usagi stared at the blind girl. "You knew the guy who made this?"  
Shinzui nodded, and her expression seemed far away. "Pytharian was a dear friend of mine. But it was lifetimes ago" Then she seemed to return to the present. "Actually, Princess, this was something I wanted to speak with you and the prince about."  
Mamoru nodded. "Why don't we go sit over there?" he suggested, pointing at a red velvet upholstered bench set up against the wall. The three of them took seats, and Shinzui sighed.  
"Centauri and I have been awake all night, trying to decide how much we should tell you. You see, the more I say, the more danger I place you in. But you have the right to know at least something of what you're up against here." Shinzui paused, and ruffled the silky fur on Centauri's head. For the first time, the dog cleared his throat and spoke aloud to the others.  
"Shinzui is, as you have seen, a Sailor Scout. But she has a special mission, a special purpose, and because of this, she has many responsibilities and abilities that the other Senshi do not have."   
Usagi stared at Centauri. "And you can talk. Like Luna."  
Centauri nodded. "Yes. I am Sailor Orion's guardian, as Luna is yours."   
Shinzui smiled fondly down at the golden retriever. "And he is also one of my dearest friends." Then she straightened, and her soft, blank eyes were gentle. "I cannot tell you the details of my mission yet. It is still not absolutely necessary for you to know, and I want to keep you as safe as possible for as long as possible. But what I can tell you is this." She sighed. "I have been watching over you, Princess, for exactly one thousand, four hundred and fifty-seven lifetimes-- each lifetime being one thousand years long."  
Mamoru stared at her. "You're saying that Sailor Moon is over a million years old?!!" he wondered incredulously, doing the math in his head.   
Shinzui nodded. "So are you. So are all of the other Sailor Senshi." Mamoru shook his head, trying to comprehend this. The tall blind girl smiled at him. "After each thousand-year lifespan, you each, with the exception of Sailor Pluto, die and are reborn. And with each rebirth, your memories are wiped clean. But in my case I do not live for a thousand years. Usually my lifespan is only about twenty years or so. Sometimes less. And when I am reborn, I retain all memories of all my previous lifetimes."   
Usagi frowned at her. "How come you don't live as long as we do?" she demanded.  
Mamoru was thoughtful. "The first day we met you, Sailor Saturn came to us. She said that you were the sacrificial soldier. Is that what you're talking about?"  
Shinzui inclined her head. "Yes. The reason I do not live very long is because the time for the sacrifice has always come almost immediately after my awakening as Sailor Orion," she said. "There is a reason for this, but I cannot go into it now. At any rate my mission here among you is to protect you from the greatest eternal danger that the Earth has ever faced. During many of your lifetimes, it has not even been necessary for you to be aware of my presence. And there have been other lives in which I have had to tell you the complete story" Suddenly Shinzui froze, and her eyes clouded.  
"What is it, Shinzui-san?" Mamoru asked with concern.   
"_Jaki_." Shinzui rose to her feet, and Usagi joined her. "No, Princess. You should let me do this alone. I'm starting to get a little irritated with Lord Narcissus."  
"No way," Usagi responded determinedly. "I'm not gonna let you"  
"Too late." Shinzui looked towards the arched museum entrance as the evil spirit lumbered into their presence. It was carrying the lifeless body of one of the museum tour guides, whom it had just drained. The _jaki_ grinned when it caught sight of Shinzui.   
"Found her!" it hissed happily, and took a step forward.  
"Cosmic Moon Power, Makeup!"  
"No, Princess, don't!" Shinzui exclaimed, but it was too late. Usagi was already turning around, her form shimmering in color as her sailor _fuku _appeared around her slight form. Shinzui shook her head as Mamoru, unwilling to allow his beloved to fight alone, also produced his rose from a coat pocket and transfomed as well.  
The blind girl sighed and turned to Centauri. "Come on, then," she said with resignation. "I might as well join them." She bared her bracelet.  
Centauri nodded at his mistress and shouted, "Orion Constellation Power, Makeup!" The beams of light penetrated the bracelet and spread over her body. Shinzui closed her eyes as she was lifted off the floor by the transformation power. When she opened them again, she could see, not just sense, the _jaki_. Sailor Orion smiled at it, her white teeth gleaming nearly as bright as the creature's.  
"Well, I wonder what Narcissus is plotting now," she declared loudly, seemingly to no one in particular. She stepped forward to place herself in front of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, so that the _jaki_ would have to attack her first. But the _jaki_ did not attack. Instead, its form began to shift and change color, as Lord Narcissus took over the monster's body.  
Sailor Orion observed Narcissus' appearance with a cocked eyebrow. When he was fully formed, she grinned at him. "Back for more so soon, dear Narcissus? My, my. Aren't we a glutton for punishment?" Her silver eyes mocked him.  
"Shut up, Sailor brat," Narcissus responded harshly. He opened his hand, and Orion caught a glimpse of the dark, blood red bubble that was beginning to swell there.  
"Prince Endymion?" she said quietly. "Get the Princess away from here, now."  
"What's wrong, Sailor Orion?" Sailor Moon wanted to know.  
Orion shook her head. "No time. Get out of here, now."  
"They aren't going anywhere, Miss Orion," Lord Narcissus gloated, and with his free hand he sent a stream of negative energy towards the entrance, sealing it off. There was no escape. Narcissus chuckled at her. "Well, Orion, it appears I've got your attention at last."  
"It's me you want, Narcissus. Not them. Let them go, and you can do whatever you want with me. I promise I won't even fight you. But let them go." Orion stared at the Negaverse admiral defiantly.  
"Not a chance." Narcissus raised his hand as the blood-colored bubble continued to grow. It was now almost as tall as Sailor Orion herself. "I'm going to get all three of you at once and then I'm going to get the others. Every last one of you worthless little Sailor scum are going to be in here, in Libra's Darkness and Time Globe."  
Orion's eyes narrowed. "When I get out of there, Narcissus"  
"What makes you think any of you will ever get out of it? Libra's powers can hold even you indefinitely, Orion, and you know it. So face it the Negaverse is going to win this time."  
The Sacrificial Soldier shook her head condescendingly. "You underestimate the Sailor Senshi, Lord Narcissus."  
"I don't think so. Now are you going to walk in yourself or am I going to have to throw you in?" The lavender caped Lord cast a meaningful glance at Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. "For the safety of your friends, I suggest you choose the less violent method."  
Sailor Orion turned slightly towards her friends. "It will be all right," she said quietly. "Just do what he tells you for now." Then she began to walk towards the ominous red bubble, with Centauri following faithfully behind. He was not about to allow Orion to go alone.  
"Shinzui-san!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. Sailor Orion smiled at her, gently, but she did not respond, just turned back and stepped into the bubble. The redness seemed to swallow her up, and she disappeared.  
Narcissus chuckled cruelly. "Now your turn, Miss Moon. In you go."  
Sailor Moon looked up at Tuxedo Kamen, whose face was grave. He nodded at her, and the two of them stepped through the red skin of the bubble, not knowing what they were to face on the other side.

"Where are we?" Sailor Moon wondered as she stared about. The ground beneath them was hard packed dirt, and they seemed to be standing on a street in the middle of an ancient stone city, with Greek columns and Roman aqueducts. Except that somehow, the city did not seem so ancient   
"We are in Libra's Globe of darkness and stolen time," Sailor Orion responded from behind them, and Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask turned to face her. She was sitting above them on an outcropping of rocks, and her silver-gray eyes were grave as she surveyed the city. "Sailor Libra has powers over the Realm of Death and he often steals from the Gate of Time when Sailor Pluto cannot prevent him."  
"Sailor Libra? Who's that?" Tuxedo Kamen asked.  
Orion sighed. "One of the Sailor Constellations. Like me. But he works for the other side."  
"You mean, the Negaverse?"   
Sailor Orion nodded, and then slid off the rocks and dropped ten feet to the ground, so she could stand with them. She landed lightly, rising to her feet quickly, and Centauri trotted around from the side to join them. Orion looked down at her canine companion with a weary smile as he shook his head.  
"I've searched everywhere, Sailor Orion. But there is no way out."  
Orion nodded. "I know. We can't get out of the Globe on our own. But Narcissus forgot something, when he sealed us in here. He forgot about Sailor Pluto."   
Sailor Moon frowned. "What's she got to do with any of this?"  
Sailor Orion sighed. "This globe was created because Sailor Libra illicitly stole some of her influence over time. She can get us out of here. Sailor Pluto has the power to destroy the globe. But she won't be able to do that unless we are somehow able to contact her and let her know we need her help."  
Tuxedo Kamen's expression was serious. "There may be a bigger problem," he said to Orion. "During our most recent battle against Pharoah 90 and the Death Busters, Sailor Pluto used a taboo power to save the lives of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. I'm not sure exactly what happened to her after that, but she hasn't come back since. Uranus told me that Pluto had said something about the true Messiah"  
Sailor Orion's dove gray eyes widened. "So the Silence did come, after all," she breathed, almost to herself. _The Guardians had said it would I wish I could have been there to help. _She met Tuxedo Kamen's eyes. "It's all right, Tuxedo Kamen-sama. It is true that Sailor Pluto would be banished back to the Time Gate for all of eternity for her breaking of the taboo unless the Messiah requires her help again, in which case her talisman will give her the power she needs to return to this world. And since the Princess is the Messiah-- " Sailor Moon's eyes got bigger at this, "and since she is most definitely in need of Pluto's help, I am certain that she will be able to return to free us." Orion took a deep breath and looked around here. "I must warn you. Libra's stolen time is not chronological, and will often shift, and blend. Both of you must remain close to me, for if we are separated into different time intervals we may never find each other again." Sailor Orion looked around her for a minute as if searching for something, then untied the long peach ribbons at the back of her _fuku_.  
"What are you doing that for?" Sailor Moon cried in surprise as Orion ripped the ribbons off her Senshi uniform. The tall Soldier took one end of one of the ribbons and tied it around Sailor Moon's wrist, and then tied the other end to her own. She handed the second ribbon to Tuxedo Kamen, who understood what she was doing, and began to tie the ribbon to Sailor Moon's other wrist, placing her between them. Orion used the third ribbon to connect herself and Centauri.  
Sailor Orion smiled at Sailor Moon. "We're going to stick together," she explained as Tuxedo Kamen tied the other end of his ribbon to his own wrist. "The ribbons will make sure that we will not get separated as we move through the Globe."  
Sailor Moon frowned, because it felt funny, having one arm attached to each of her friends. "What are we moving for? Where are we going to go? You said yourself we can't get out of here on our own."   
Orion began to walk down the rough dirt road, being careful not to let her long legs outdistance Sailor Moon's shorter ones. "It's difficult to explain," Sailor Orion began. "But at the very center of the Globe, there ought to be-" She was interrupted by Sailor Moon's gasp of amazement as Orion took another step and seemed to disappear. The peach ribbon that connected them stretched out in front of her, and then just vanished, into thin air.  
"What happened?" Sailor Moon cried in confusion. A moment later, Sailor Orion's disembodied face came back into view, almost as if it were hovering in midair it was a very odd sight indeed.  
"It's one of the time shifts I was telling you about," she explained gently. "It's all right. Come on."  
Hesitantly, Sailor Moon took a step forward, and suddenly it was like stepping through a mirror. The world she had been in was now gone, replaced by a new world that opened up in front of her. Sailor Orion was already there, and in a moment, Tuxedo Kamen joined them. "Oh," Sailor Moon exclaimed as she looked around her. "It's like an old castle." And indeed it was, though not like any castle she'd ever read about. The damp breeze and cool stone walls were to be expected, but to her surprise, there were small electric floor lamps lining the hall before them, not torches. And there were several photographs on the wall all in color. One was a photo of a shiny red Ferrari that instantly made Sailor Moon think of Haruka. And in another, there was a picture of a young boy playing a video game. On the opposite wall, however, there were crude, dark markings that seemed to be more symbols than pictures; and they reminded Sailor Moon of the drawings done by cave men that she'd seen in one of Ami's anthropology books. "This is weird," she said as she gazed around her. "It's like time is all mixed up."  
"It is," Orion agreed as she began walking again. "Hey, look out!" She put her arm in front of Sailor Moon protectively, and all three of them as well as the golden retriever flattened against the stony walls as a big giraffe suddenly came charging down the hall. It passed them, kicking up dust in its wake and making Sailor Moon sneeze.   
As Sailor Moon watched the exotic creature disappear in the other direction, she shook her head with amazement. "This is sooo weird," she repeated in amazement. "Sailor Pluto would have a fit if she could see this!" She began to follow Orion again as the tall Sailor continued her progress down the hallway. "So where are we going again?" she asked.  
"Well," Orion replied, ducking underneath an archway that was obviously made for much shorter people, "it's difficult to understand, but there ought to be a sort of threshold at the center of the Globe, where-" and she disappeared again. This time Sailor Moon knew what was happening, and with a minimal amount of hesitation, she stepped forward into this second time shift.  
The new world they entered seemed to be a jungle, but it was a very strange sort of jungle. It was hot and overgrown with thick foilage, but there were penguins sitting in the trees above them. The ground beneath their feet was covered with snow, which somehow managed to remain freezing cold even though the air was almost suffocatingly hot. And Sailor Moon could have sworn she heard an elephant trumpeting in the distance. Tuxedo Kamen used his cane to beat a path for them through the dense tropical growth, and they continued moving forward, although Sailor Moon nearly tripped over a small patch of cactus growing in the snowdrifts. Sailor Orion caught her arm.  
"Easy," she said with a grin. "You've got to expect the unexpected around here."   
"I'm beginning to see that," Sailor Moon responded ruefully. Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of something behind Sailor Orion. "Ummm Orion" Her voice shook.  
The colossal Senshi turned and found herself nose to nose with an enormous walrus. Sailor Moon trembled as the gargantuan creature surveyed them with his big black eyes. But Orion only giggled. "It's all right, Princess. He's friendly." She reached out a gloved hand and scratched the beast's chin gently. The walrus gave a snort of pleasure and tilted its head to the side happily. Sailor Moon had to giggle too, at that, and also reached out to touch the huge animal. Even Tuxedo Kamen could not resist the opportunity to pet a walrus after all, it wasn't every day that one could meet such a creature, up close and personal. After a few moments, though, Orion turned back.   
"Come on," she said to her friends. "We've got to keep going. Who knows what trouble Narcissus is causing out there, and without either of us to destroy the _jaki_, the other Senshi may not be able to hold him off for long." Reluctantly Sailor Moon allowed herself to be led away from the walrus.  
Tuxedo Kamen continued to beat at the thick vines with his cane as he asked, "So what's this threshold you mentioned, Orion? Can we use it to contact Sailor Pluto?"  
Sailor Orion nodded. "Theoretically, yes. The threshold is the part of time and space that is unmoveable and unchangeable, even for Sailor Libra. It is the place that connects all other places, the time that connects all other times. At the threshold, we should be able to send a message to Sailor Pluto that she can hear, even through the distortion."  
Tuxedo Kamen vanished in front of her, and Sailor Moon didn't even hesitate this time. She just kept right on walking forward, and a second later Sailor Orion and Centauri materialized at her side as the four entered a third time shift. "Oh, boy," Sailor Moon groaned as she looked around. "Isn't there another way to get to this threshold, Sailor Orion? Please say there's another way."  
"I'm afraid not, Sailor Moon," Centauri responded as he too took in their surroundings with a bit of trepidation. They were standing at the edge of a chasm, the bottom of which they could not even see. It just seemed to fall and fall and fall into nothingness, and Sailor Moon shivered a bit as she looked at it.   
"I'm not sure I can do this," she cried, her voice beginning to sound like a whine. "I don't like heights!" Sailor Orion took her hand gently, and Sailor Moon looked up at her with frightened eyes.  
"It's all right, Princess," Orion said, her musical tones very sweet. "We'll all be with you." Tuxedo Kamen took Sailor Moon's other hand, and Sailor Orion reached down and gripped Centauri's collar firmly. "Everyone ready?" she asked. "One two three JUMP!!!" All four of them leapt from the cliff edge, and fell down, down into the black void below. Sailor Moon screamed.

"What do you mean, she's missing?" Haruka demanded impatiently.  
Ami's face was serious. "Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san went to the new museum opening," she said quietly. "And we just got news that there was a _jaki_ attack there. I've tried to contact her many times, but there's no response, and my computer can't locate them anywhere in Tokyo."  
Minako's expression was filled with worry, though she tried to stay optimistic. "Well, the _jaki_ sort of disappeared too," she pointed out. "So I'll bet Sailor Moon just destroyed it and then went somewhere to be alone with Mamoru-san."  
"I'm sure that's it," Michiru agreed gently, laying a hand on Rei's shoulder. The temple priestess shook her head.  
"No. Something happened. I can feel it. Something's wrong here." Rei rose to her feet. "We should have been watching her more closely. Sailor Orion said she was in danger. We shouldn't have left her alone."   
Makoto pounded the wall with her fist. "Well, that does it, then," she declared. "I'm going over to that museum right now to find out what's going on." Chibiusa, who was sitting on the temple steps, bounced to her feet with a nod, eager to follow.  
"We'll all go," Haruka said firmly. "If something did happen to her, I want to be there." The Scouts looked at one another with a nod, and all of them pulled out their henshin pens simultaneously.

"Ow!!" Sailor Moon complained, rubbing her rear end as she looked around. "Where are we?"  
Sailor Orion rose to her feet carefully, and winced as pain shot through her ankle. She knew it had been twisted in the fall and as she tested it, she was certain that it had been sprained. They still had a ways to go, however, and there was no way she would let this slow them down. They had to reach the threshold as soon as possible; the longer it took them, the more danger the other Scouts were in. Besides, she'd endured much worse pain than this before. Deliberately closing her mind to the pain, she instead took another look around them. "We're almost there," she told Sailor Moon encouragingly. This new place to which they had fallen was a desert-like place, but it was hard to tell if it was a desert or a beach. The sand spread out before them and behind them for as far as they could see, but it was littered with seashells, starfish, and dried green stringy stuff that she could only assume was seaweed. There was no cactus, like one would expect in a desert. And the strangest thing of all was seeing little fish leaping from the sand, and then diving back under again, as if the sand were really sea.   
Tuxedo Kamen scratched his head in puzzlement as one of these little fish, emerging from the sand, accidently flopped onto the toe of his boot before tumbling back into the dry golden ocean. "This is a very interesting place," he commented bemusedly as he rose to his feet, helping Sailor Moon to stand up as well.  
Sailor Orion nodded. "Yes and it will only get more interesting as we get closer to the threshold." She turned to make sure that Sailor Moon was all right, and then straightened. "Let's go."

"You!" Sailor Jupiter's eyes narrowed considerably as she glared at Lord Narcissus. The Negaverse Admiral was leaning casually against the marble statue, and the woman with the water jug appeared to be frowning down at him. Narcissus grinned at her.  
"Why hello. It took you long enough to get here. I was beginning to get bored."  
"Where's Sailor Moon?" Sailor Mars demanded.  
"And where's Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" ChibiMoon added angrily.   
The lavender caped villian only smiled at them. "Don't worry, my dears. You'll be joining them soon. And that little Orion brat won't be coming to help you; I've got her too."  
"What did you do with them?" Sailor Mercury wanted to know. Narcissus did not reply, but he opened his hand and exposed the small, blood-red bubble there. The bubble began to swell. Sailor Mercury pressed her earring and her VR visor slid into place. She began to scan the Libra Globe, and she frowned. "Well, I've found them," she said. "They seem to be trapped in that thing whatever that thing is. I am reading a whole lot of negative energy concentrated in there."  
"Well, that's easily fixed," Sailor Jupiter responded, her green eyes glittering with anticipation. "Supreme Thunder Crash!!" The crackling energy enveloped the steadily growing red sphere, but nothing happened. The power struck, the Globe rocked a bit, and that was it.   
"Wait, Jupiter," Mercury said, continuing to scan the blood-colored orb. "We shouldn't attack it it is simply gathering our energy and making itself stronger."  
"I have a better idea," Sailor Uranus announced. She raised her fist. "World Shaking!" And she sent her golden planet-shaped power towards the eyepatched Negaverse Lord.  
Narcissus sidestepped her attack with a grin. "Oh, I like this," he crowed. "All right then, let's have a little fun before I send all of you to join your friends." His fist began to glow with pale violet evil.

"I'm so tired," Sailor Moon groaned as they stepped into what must be the thirtieth world they had entered since they'd been trapped in this bizzare place. They'd climbed mountains, swam rivers, jumped into bottomless caverns, crawled through labyrinth caves and she was beginning to feel a little less amused with the whole thing. Her _fuku_ was torn and dirty, and her face was all smudged with dirt.  
Orion turned back, carefully keeping the pain from her voice as her ankle continued to throb stubbornly. She smiled tenderly at the tiny Sailor Leader. "We're almost there," she responded kindly, reaching out to take her hand and steady her. "It will be all right. Just hang on to me."  
Tuxedo Kamen eyed Sailor Orion with concern. "Are you sure you're all right, Orion?" he inquired. "You look really pale." Sailor Moon looked up at the colossal Senshi's face, and nodded in agreement, her face suddenly also filled with worry.  
"Yeah, Tuxedo Kamen-sama is right. You're all white and everything. Are you okay?"  
Orion nodded, willing the throbbing from her ankle into the back of her mind, where she could close it off. She smiled at them. "I'm just fine, guys." Centauri looked up at her suspiciously, but didn't say anything. If Orion really wasn't all right, and she was putting on an act to keep her friends' spirits up, he knew she would not appreciate it if he spoke up. Sailor Orion brushed a strand of shimmering pale hair out of her face. "Come on, now. We're almost there."  
Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Orion helped Sailor Moon climb the last few steps of the hi-rise apartment building that they were apparently struggling through, and as they reached the top, stepped through into yet another time shift. But this one was different than all the others they'd been through there was no ground, no sky, no walls nothing. It was a vast expanse of nothing, solid white, dimensionless, and silent. Orion breathed a sigh bordering on relief.  
"We've found it," she said, her musical voice sounding oddly flat in this empty space. "This is the threshhold."  
Tuxedo Kamen gazed around them at the nothing. "All right, what do we do now?" he asked.  
Orion closed her eyes, summoning her Orion Music Sphere. "Now, we let Sailor Pluto know we're in trouble," she responded. "Sailor Moon-raise your Moon Rod." Sailor Moon did as she was told, raising the long red and gold scepter above her head. "Now, I'm going to combine my power with yours, and Tuxedo Kamen she's going to need you to help hold her up. This is going to be a lot of power for her to have to handle all at once." Tuxedo Kamen nodded, and put his own arms on top of Sailor Moon's, supporting the Spiral Heart Rod along with his beloved. Orion nodded at Sailor Moon. "All right then." She raised her fist, closed her eyes, and sang. "Heavenly Symphony!"  
The melody of Orion surrounded them, swirling and concentrating itself on the Spiral Heart Moon Rod. Sailor Moon also closed her eyes. "Cosmic Moon Power!" she called, as loud as she could. The Moon Rod began to vibrate, almost violently, as Sailor Orion continued to pour her strength into it. Tuxedo Kamen kept a firm grip on Sailor Moon's hands as she struggled to hang onto it. Centauri took a step back as the tensions in the scepter built. The glow intensified until the Rod was white-hot with the power, and then the energy burst free in a straight beam of light that made the surrounding whiteness look gray in comparison. This beam streamed straight up into the nothing, and lasted for almost ten seconds. When it finally faded, Sailor Moon fell to her knees wearily, and Sailor Orion, though she did not fall, looked dangerously close to passing out herself. Tuxedo Kamen steadied both girls as he looked up into the pale nothingness above them. "If she didn't hear that, she must be deaf," he declared decidedly, and Sailor Orion smiled tiredly in agreement.  
Far, far away, amidst the darkness and the stars, a tall silhouette bearing a long staff suddenly turned in alarm, as a bright beam of light came streaming through the great stone archway. The figure's eyes widened, and in a smooth, timeless voice, responded. "I hear you, Princess. I'm coming."

Lord Narcissus cackled gleefully as another of his lavender power attacks smashed into Sailor Venus, sending her smashing against the wall, into an ancient painting of a Biblical garden scene. Her poor battered body joined those of Sailors Mars and Jupiter on the floor. Sailor Mercury, who had only been struck in the shoulder, struggled to her feet.  
"Shine Aqua-" but she never finished, because Lord Narcissus chose that opportunity to blast her as well.   
"Hey, those are my friends!" Sailor ChibiMoon protested indignantly. "Take this! Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" She brandished her little Moon Stick, but nothing happened. Lord Narcissus cocked an eyebrow at her, and prepared another dark energy bolt. But then, abruptly, a stream of small pink hearts began to flow from the Moon Stick, bopping Narcissus in the face. He was forced to duck, and as he did, the stream of hearts discovered access to his backside, and began to spank him enthusiastically. Sailor ChibiMoon giggled as the Negaverse admiral hopped around the room for a moment, trying to escape the smarting little hearts. But those giggles were cut short as Narcissus gave up on escape and came straight for her instead, backhanding the littlest Sailor Soldier across the face, and sending her flying across the room. Her little Moon Stick went spinning from her hand, as her little form landed on the floor next to Sailor Mercury.  
"Oh, big man you are, to go hitting a little kid like that," Sailor Uranus taunted, powering up her attack. She and Sailor Neptune both attacked at once, combining their powers. They struck the Negaverse admiral, even though he attempted to dodge, and he was knocked down, but he got back up almost immediately, dripping wet and quite shaken up, but not at all deterred. Lord Narcissus turned to look at the red Libra Globe, which was now full sized and ready for more inhabitants, and he grinned.   
"Well now," he smirked. "I think it's time to put the trash in its place." And he lifted his arm.  
"Dead Scream."   
The two words were barely whispered, but their effect was magical, as the swirling dark clouds of positive energy pierced the Libra Globe. The blood-colored bubble shattered, as if it had been made of glass. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune stared in disbelief at the newcomer. Sailor Pluto had appeared in their midst completely unexpectedly, and Sailor Uranus' mouth hung open.  
"Pluto? How can this be?" she wondered.  
Sailor Pluto nodded briefly at them, and then turned to face Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon and Sailor Orion, who had been released as the Globe exploded, and were standing, in rather disheveled state, but nonetheless alive and well. Pluto smiled slightly. "Someone needed my help." She inclined her head gracefully towards Sailor Orion. "Orion. We meet again."  
The pale-haired Senshi of music returned the slight nod. "Sailor Pluto." She looked over at Lord Narcissus pointedly, who suddenly became very uneasy as those silvery eyes locked on him in fury.  
"I'll be back," he shouted quickly, and then released the jaki's body, escaping back to the Negaverse in his customary cowardly fashion. The jaki stood there in the center of the room, a bit dazed.   
"Says that often, doesn't he?" Tuxedo Kamen remarked with a wry grin as Narcissus departed.  
Sailor Orion looked at the evil spirit, then turned to observe the other Senshi, who were still lying, injured, on the museum floor, and she raised her arm. "Might as well kill two birds with one stone." The Orion Sphere began to glow as she sang out, "Heavenly Symphony!" The melody filled the room, and Uranus could feel her strength flowing back into her as the beautiful music embraced all of them. The black creature, still confused, melted away into the floor with scarcely a hiss of displeasure. After a few moments, the fallen Senshi began to revive again.  
Sailor Pluto observed all of this quietly, her smile still in place. Then she took a step forward. "I thank you for calling me, Sailor Moon," she said to the petite blonde girl, who was also slowly regaining her energy from Orion's music. Sailor Moon smiled back at her.   
"You should thank Sailor Orion," she said modestly. "I didn't do anything. It was Orion who told us how to let you know we were in trouble."  
Sailor Pluto turned to Orion, looking up into the taller girl's face. "Then I thank you, Sailor Orion," she said quietly. "I am very glad that I do not have to miss this particular battle with the Negaverse."   
Orion nodded. "But I have not yet told them everything," she said quietly to Pluto, and the forest-green hair swished as Pluto nodded in agreement.  
"No. It is too early, and the danger is too great," she acknowledged. Her garnet eyes narrowed as she regarded Orion with keen perception. "You are injured," she stated, looking down at Sailor Orion's ankle. Orion shook her head, and tried to deny it, but it was too late.  
Sailor Moon's eyes widened, and she looked up at Orion accusingly. "You said you were okay," she admonished, bending down to look at the tall Senshi's ankle.   
Sailor Orion flushed deeply and stepped away, her sprained ankle wobbling a bit and screaming protestations at her for moving so quickly. "No, Princess, it's all right. It's only a sprain"  
Pluto shook her head and chuckled. "Still the same old Orion, aren't you?" she inquired in an amused tone. "Never willing to admit her own pain." She smiled fondly at Sailor Orion, and then put a hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder. "It's all right, Sailor Moon. Let her go. Orion heals very quickly." Sailor Orion cast the Senshi of Time a grateful look, and then turned to make sure that all the other Senshi were all right.  
"Puu!!" Sailor ChibiMoon cried with excitement as she realized that Sailor Pluto was present in the room. There was suddenly a flurry of commotion as the newly revived Senshi rose to their feet, welcoming Pluto and demanding to know what had happened. Sailor Neptune turned back to look for Sailor Orion, and ask her what on earth that bubble thing had been but Orion was gone. Neptune looked up to meet her partner's glassy gray eyes, and Uranus shrugged. They were beginning to expect those quick disappearances now.   
But as Uranus turned back to the group of Senshi, who were all chattering excitedly, she frowned to herself._ I don't know what Sailor Orion is up to,_ she mused. _But I'm going to find out, whether she wants me to or not. Maybe I'm just crazy, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something not quite right about her_

[Back to Part Ten][1]  
[On to Part Twelve][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic10.htm
   [2]: fanfic12.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	12. A Fighter or a Soldier? Makoto is in tro...

Part Twelve: A Fighter or a Soldier? Makoto is in trouble

"How are you, Haruka?" Setsuna asked quietly. It hadn't taken a genius to sense the tension in the blond racer when she'd been in Sailor Orion's presence, and Setsuna was concerned.   
Haruka scowled, and looked down at the splintery wood of the picnic table. They were sitting in the park together, all three of the Senshi from the outer planets. Haruka had been reluctant to agree to this meeting in the first place, knowing that Setsuna was going to want to discuss Orion. "I don't want to talk about it."  
Setsuna shook her head. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Haruka, you've had these negative feelings around Orion for as long as I can remember." She sighed. "I'm not old enough to remember why you feel this way"  
"I said I don't want to talk about it." Haruka met Setsuna's garnet eyes. "I'm surprised at you, though." Haruka's low tones almost sounded accusing. "We don't know anything about this Sailor Orion. She's an intruder she's not from our Solar System. I can't imagine why you would trust her."  
"I didn't, for a very long time," Setsuna responded softly. "But when someone gives up their life for the Moon Princess, they have the tendency to get on my good side."  
Michiru's aqua eyes got bigger. "You mean, that's true?" she wondered. "Orion really is going to die for Usagi-chan?"  
Setsuna nodded, and her face was grave. "Yes. I'm afraid so."  
Haruka shook her head again. "I'll believe it when I see it. I still don't trust her. I wish odango atama wouldn't get so close to her, either."  
Michiru smiled slyly at her partner. "Why Haruka, you almost sound jealous." The dark look that remained on the taller girl's face told Michiru that Haruka was not in the mood to be teased, and she regretted her words almost immediately. Haruka rose to her feet, a shadow hovering in her gray eyes.  
"I'm going for a ride," she stated brusquely, snatching her helmet from the table. Without looking back, she stalked through the park to her motorcycle, parked at the curb.    
Michiru watched her go with an apology in her eyes. "I didn't mean to upset her," she sighed.  
Setsuna laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know. She'll be back but you know Haruka. Some things she just has to figure out for herself."  
Michiru twisted around to look at Setsuna. "Are you going to tell us what all of this is about?" she inquired. "Sailor Orion still hasn't told us what we're fighting, or why. But you know, don't you?"  
Setsuna nodded, her green locks brushing her face gently. "Yes, I do. And believe me when I say that this is one of the most important battles of all time. The enemy that we are going up against is the most powerful member of the Negaverse in existence." Then she smiled wistfully. "But I cannot say more than that. Sailor Orion was right when she said that telling you too much now would put all of you in danger. She's always chosen the time to reveal everything to you and she hasn't been wrong yet. I trust her judgement in this."  
Michiru nodded. "All right, then." Her eyes were a bit clouded. "You know, though, something that Haruka pointed out is bothering me now." She paused. "It's true that Sailor Orion comes from beyond our Solar System. As guardians of the outer planets, we're supposed to be protecting this planet from invaders. But it never even occurred to me to be suspicious of Orion." Michiru shook her head slowly. "I never even thought of it, until Haruka pointed it out. Doesn't that seem to you to be a bit dangerous not being cautious enough about her?"  
Setsuna gave a small smile. "I'm not surprised, Michiru, that you didn't think to suspect her of foul play. Orion tends to have that effect on people. The fact is, her power comes from her purity of soul; and that pure soul makes it very difficult for anyone to mistrust her, even when they don't know anything about her at all." The timeless woman's eyes were gentle. "It's much the same as Usagi-chan you would never suspect her of something evil either. There's just a feeling surrounding them, of honesty and straightforwardness that can't be faked."   
Michiru nodded. "You're right. That's exactly how it feels, every time I see her. I scarcely know her, and yet I would trust her with my life." Her aqua eyes flickered back in the direction her partner had disappeared. "But I wish I knew why Haruka can't feel it like we do." 

"Come, my _jaki_. Show yourself to me."   
In the field outside the city, the black stone monument was humming busily as another drop of black, shiny liquid fell hissing onto its surface. The gooey stuff began to grow and swell, slowly developing into the ugly, monstrous dark spirit that would answer Narcissus' bidding.   
"_Jaki_ here, Lord Narcissus," the thing hissed as it turned towards the opening in space above it.  
"I've got something for you, my mindless little minon. Put it on." A golden medallion came flying out of the gaping tear, and the evil spirit caught it. It stared at the medallion for a moment a small gold disk with winglike extentions and a pale blue symbol imprinted in the center. Narcissus repeated his command. "Put it on, _jaki_."  
The monster slipped the delicate golden chain over its head, and to its astonishment, its body disappeared, made invisible by the power of the medallion. The _jaki_ gave a hiss of surprise, and Narcissus laughed. "Sailor Aquila was kind enough to lend me one of his Chaos Medallions," he declared.  
"How'd you manage that one?" This was Lady Slipper's voice.  
Lord Narcissus' tone was full of haughtiness. "I asked him for it."  
"There's got to be more to it than that. Aquila doesn't do favors for anyone." The woman's voice was suspicious. "What did you give him in return?"  
"None of your business," Narcissus retorted a bit defensively, and there might have been a hint of embarrassment in the tone.  
Lady Slipper giggled. "Never mind, then. I'm not sure I even want to know." There was a pause. "So what do you plan to do this time, oh great admiral?"  
"I plan," Narcissus responded, a bit irritated with Lady Slipper's sarcasm, "to find the Silver Dagger. The Chaos medallion will fill everyone that the _jaki_ touches with our negative power, amplifiying their aggressive tendencies. Pretty soon, all the humans will be stabbing one another in the streets. The blood will run rivers through their happy little city, and we'll find the host of that Dagger in no time flat."  
"What about the Sailor Senshi?"  
"What about them?"  
Lady Slipper clucked her tongue derisively. "Tsk, tsk, Admiral. Don't tell me that after everything you've been through with them you're still going to continue to underestimate their abilities."  
"Oh, shut up, Lady Slipper," Lord Narcissus retorted, his frozen tones echoing out over the empty plain. "My _jaki_ had six of those lousy Scouts chained up the first time we went after Orion. If it could catch them once, it can do it again. You there," he said, addressing the evil spirit still standing on the monument's edge, "listen to me. I want you to creep among the humans, touching as many of them as you can. Don't take their blood unless you can do it without being seen I don't want the Sailor Scouts to be aware of your presence until it's too late for them to stop it. You understand?"  
The creature nodded and grinned, showing its three gleaming fangs. "_Jaki_ understand." It turned to the edge of the monument and made a great flying leap, rolling into a ball in midair so that it could bounce in the tall grass. The monster made three bounces in order to build up momentum, and then it was flying into the sky, moving in a perfect arc towards Tokyo.  
Narcissus gave a grunt of satisfaction. "With every single human in that city attacking or being attacked, they're going to do all our work for us. Now, we just stand back and wait for the Dagger to come to us."  
Lady Slipper still sounded amused. "Oh, I hope you're right, for your sake, dear Narcissus. I'd hate to think what Aquila might do to you if anything happened to his medallion." She began to laugh again, and it was not a pleasant sound.

Haruka revved the engine of her bike again, and as the light changed she squealed the tires, racing down the street, her racer's mind staying super-focused on her surroundings despite her speed. She was more than just a fast driver; she was a good driver. She hadn't been in an accident yet, despite all the speeding she did in town. But today, her concentration was not as keen as usual. Michiru's words were running through her head. "You almost sound jealous" Haruka growled to herself. _I'm not jealous, _she insisted mentally. _That's not it at all. I just don't like Orion-Shinzui-whoever the hell she is._ But the little voice inside that liked to argue with her decided to speak up. _Well fine, then, Haruka. You don't like her. But why not? You don't even have a decent reason. She frowned again. Why do I have to have a reason? I've always had good instincts when it comes to people But is this the kind of person I want to be? Am I just making excuses? Every time I see that girl, I want to kill her. I hate her!! And I have no reason. It doesn't make sense. _Haruka was beginning to feel dizzy with all the swirling, conflicting thoughts arguing in her head. _I've got to stop thinking about it for a while just drive. Just drive. _  
The wind whipping her clothes as she sped down the street seemed to be challenging her. Haruka grinned in response, and went even faster, feeling the bike beneath her growl powerfully as the acceleration made them blur together, becoming one being Haruka's mind and body, the bike's wheels and engine. She felt her heart racing, dancing within her as it always did when she raced the wind itself. _I want to be like the wind_  
Suddenly there was a loud honking and squealing noise, as Haruka realized that she'd come around the corner too fast and there were some pedestrians crossing the street. She hissed out a curse and slammed the brakes of the motorcycle, veering to the side so that she'd miss the people. The bike slid sideways, smashing into the ground, and Haruka felt herself tossed across the sidewalk, the cement raking through the tough motor jacket she wore, scraping into her skin. For a moment everything in the world seemed to be upside down and noisy. Then she felt hands on her shoulders, and a voice calling her name.  
"Haruka-san! Haruka-san, are you all right?"  
Haruka removed her helmet carefully, making sure that she didn't have any head injuries, and raised a hand to brush the short sandy locks from her eyes. It took her a second to figure out where she was; and realized with surprise that she had practically crash-landed onto the front lawn of Juuban High School. She looked up to meet two very familiar faces, and she couldn't help a rueful grin when she realized who it was she'd almost hit.  
"Hey, Ami-chan Mako-chan." Haruka looked at the brunette and cocked an eyebrow. "I somehow feel the strangest sense of déjà vu at the moment."   
Makoto knew what she was talking about the first time she had met Haruka, it had been almost exactly like this. Haruka's bike had nearly hit Usagi, and Makoto had shoved both of them out of the way. Makoto remembered this, but she did not smile back; she was staring at Haruka's shoulder worriedly. "Haruka-san, you're hurt."  
The racer looked down at her shoulder, where her jacket had been torn away by the rough asphalt. The white sleeve of the tee shirt she was wearing underneath was already beginning to turn a brilliant scarlet color, and the brisk December wind didn't help, either. Haruka reached over and pulled up the sleeve to survey the damage. "I'm fine," she declared, observing the wound. "Just surface scratches." She met Makoto's green eyes mischievously. "I seem to have a habit of running into you, pretty girl."  
Makoto blushed. Haruka, ever the flirt, still had the ability to fluster her. But before she could respond, another voice cut in. "Hey, dude, you should watch where you're going."   
Makoto spun around to face the big high school student. He was one of the most enormous boys Haruka had ever seen at least six and a half feet tall, and probably weighed around 280 pounds, all muscle. He was built like a train engine, with huge shoulders and a massive neck, and he seemed to have the bullheaded confindence of a person who breaks down doors with his head for fun.   
"Shut up, Junko," Makoto barked angrily, not seeming intimidated in the least. "Haruka-san could have been killed."  
"Hey, he's the one who nearly killed us," the boy responded with a sneer. He glared at Haruka. "If you can't drive any better than that, you shouldn't be on the road."  
Haruka rose to her feet in one smooth motion, her eyes glittering like gray glass. But her voice remained calm. "My apologies," she said in a voice that did not sound very apologetic at all. The huge boy, Junko, took a step forward, sensing the challenge in her voice. But then his attention was captured by the small blue-haired girl standing quietly off to one side. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to face her instead.  
"You're Mizuno Ami," he declared.  
Ami was surprised that this giant of a boy would take an interest in someone like her, but she managed to stammer, "Uh yes. I am."  
Junko glared at her. "You're the little genius girl, huh? The one who always takes the top marks. You planning on coming to Juuban High?" There was a threat in his voice that Makoto didn't like, but before she could step in to respond, Haruka was speaking quietly in her ear.  
"Who is that?" Haruka asked quietly, jerking her thumb towards the enormous boy.   
Makoto's green eyes were full of sparks. "That is Ishibata Junko captain of Juuban High School's football team, and captain of the chess team too, believe it or not. He thinks he's so smart but Ami-chan has always beat him during the intervarsity chess matches."   
"I I don't know where I'm going to attend high school," Ami responded a bit uncertainly.  
"Well, if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from Juuban," Junko sneered at her. "We don't want cheaters in our classes or on our chess team."   
Makoto's hand balled into a fist.  
Ami's eyes widened. "But I don't cheat," she protested. "I study very hard"  
"Sure you do," the large boy retorted.   
"Ami-chan is not a cheater," Makoto declared firmly, stepping in to join her friend.   
Junko was not impressed with the angry brunette. "Oh, chill out, Kino-san. Everybody knows that Mizuno Ami cheats. No one who was being honest could get perfect scores all the time."  
"That's not true," Ami breathed, and Makoto turned in dismay to see her friend's eyes filling with tears. "I've never cheated on anything in my life."  
Haruka stepped in then as well, not about to let her friends get picked on. "Listen, dude, I don't know who you think you are, but you'd better back down. Now." She stared at the taller boy coolly.  
Junko narrowed his eyes as he looked back at her, surveying her up and down. He frowned. "I say what I like, when I like," he answered haughtily. Casting one more nasty look back at Ami, he began to walk away. "Mizuno-san, you better be on your guard at the Christmas district championships, because I'm going to mop the chessboard with you." With a nasty laugh, he strode off in the opposite direction.  
"Are you all right, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked, her eyes still following the bully as he left.  
Ami nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Junko is just rough like that but it's all right. It's not like I haven't been accused of cheating before." The blue-haired girl shrugged it off, her tears already disappearing.  
Haruka shook her head. "That doesn't make it right," she responded, her low tones firm. She picked up her helmet and strapped it on, and straddled her bike. "Mako-chan?"  
Makoto looked back at her, and Haruka nodded towards Ami. "Look after her," the biker admonished as she kicked the motorcycle's engines to life. Makoto nodded with understanding, her green eyes filled with determination. Haruka grinned from behind her helmet. "I'll see you two around," she said. "_Ja ne_!" Pulling out into the street, she headed back to the apartment she shared with Michiru, blissfully forgetting all about Sailor Orion for the moment.  
Makoto watched the racer disappear down the street. She was startled suddenly by the feel of a cold hand on her arm, and she shivered as she looked down to see who it was. There was no one there. _That's odd_, she thought, wiping her arm._ I was so sure I felt something it even felt sort of slimy. How weird._ She looked up at Ami, who didn't seem to notice anything wrong, and Makoto shrugged it off. _Must have just been my imagination._

"Shinzui-san!"   
Shinzui smiled at the excitement in the boy's voice as Hitoshi entered her studio at the Banpuku center. She was so pleased with the growth that Hitoshi had shown since he'd begun to stay with them here. The former drug-dealing street kid was almost impossible to recognize now that he'd been cleaned up and straightened out, and it was obvious that he was so much happier being with friends his own age and the caring adults at the center. After Christmas break, he was going to begin to attend school again, too. Shinzui tilted her head towards the child. "What is it, Hitoshi-kun?"  
"You'll never guess it started snowing!" The boy's orange eyes glowed with pleasure. "We're gonna have a white Christmas this year, I'll bet. Isn't it great?"  
"Yes, it is," Shinzui responded with a fond smile. She rose to her feet then, putting weight on her ankle carefully. The sprain was nearly gone now, as she only felt a slight twinge, and her smile became a bit rueful. Sailor Pluto had been right when she said that Shinzui healed quickly it had only been about 48 hours since the injury had occurred and it was already barely noticeable. She stepped around the desk to ruffle the ten-year-old's yellow hair.   
Hitoshi grinned up at the blind girl. "So what do you want for Christmas, Shinzui-san?" he asked, changing the subject.  
Shinzui raised an eyebrow and gave him the same response she'd been giving all the children for the last few weeks. "Hugs and giggles, Hitoshi-kun. I want lots of hugs and giggles."   
The boy frowned. "But that's not a real present," he insisted. "Isn't there-"  
There came a knock at her office door. "Come in," Shinzui responded, and the door opened. In stepped a giant of a man, with snow-white hair and brilliant amythyst-colored eyes. Shinzui recognized the footsteps at once, and smiled delightedly. "Oberon, my friend! It's so nice to see you again!" She extended her hand, which the huge man took in his own with a smile.   
"And it is good to see you as well, child." For being such a giant, his voice was astonishingly quiet, almost like a whisper.   
Hitoshi stared at him with enormous eyes. _And I thought Shinzui-san was tall!_ Standing next to him, the six foot blind girl looked small and fragile, and the boy shook his head. _I didn't know people could get that big. He's gotta be, like, eight feet tall!!_  
Shinzui turned to Hitoshi. "Oberon, my friend, I'd like you to meet a young acquaintance of mine. This is Hitoshi." With eyes as big as orange peonies, the boy made a small bow, and Shinzui smiled. "Hitoshi-kun, this is Oberon, a very dear old friend of mine. He is the new superintendant of Juuban Junior High School, where you'll be entering after Christmas."  
The giant snowy-haired man smiled down at the child. "I'll be looking forward to getting to know you, then," he whispered, his voice sounding like the rustling of leaves across pavement. Then he turned to the blind girl. "Shinzui-san, I'm actually here today on business, of sorts. We've had some diciplinary problems with one of our students, and she's in need of some serious counseling, preferably from one of her peers. You are going to want to handle this personally, I'm sure."  
Shinzui caught a note of mischief in the soft voice, and raised an eyebrow. "Who is it?"  
"Her name is Kino Makoto."  
"Say no more." A slow smile crept over the pale-haired girl's face. "You're right, I do think that a personal touch is best with this particular young woman. Who did she beat up this time?"  
Oberon shook his head with a serious expression. "She attacked some high school kid twice her size, and a notorious bully. Knowing Junko, she probably had every reason to be angry with him, but it was foolish of her the kid just tossed her off like a rag doll, and she landed on her arm. She broke it in two places." He sighed. "And from what I understand, she got right back up and was ready to go after him again. She would have, too, if her friends and teachers hadn't stopped her and taken her to the hospital. I tried to talk to her myself, and I honestly think she was considering attacking me as well. I just don't know what to do with a turbulent spirit like that. I was hoping you might know what to say."  
Shinzui nodded slowly. "I'll do my best, old friend." Then she turned to Hitoshi. "Would you mind going to play in the game room for a while?" she asked sweetly. "I need to talk to some people." The boy grinned and scampered out the door.   
Oberon then put his head out the door. "Come in now, Kino-san."  
Makoto's voice was irritated as she stomped into the room, indifferently brandishing her arm, which had been encased in a cast and sling. "I already told you, I don't need counseling!" she growled, sounding almost angry. She stopped short when she recognized the blind girl behind the desk. "Shinzui-san!" For a moment the brunette froze with surprise.  
The huge amythyst-eyed man made a slight bow. "I'll let you two talk for a while," he whispered, and backed out of the room. Makoto was left staring at Shinzui.  
Shinzui frowned. _There's something wrong here_, she realized as the irate girl entered her music studio. There was no mistaking the violence roiling through Makoto's mind at the moment. _Turbulent spirit is right. I've never felt so much negative energy in her emotions. What's going on? This just reeks of Narcissus._ "Why don't you sit down for a minute, Makoto?" Shinzui suggested sweetly, indicating the folding chair near her keyboard.  
Makoto threw herself into the chair, still gazing up at the blind girl with an expression of near-defiance. "Look, Shinzui-san, I'm telling you, I don't need any counseling. I'm perfectly fine."  
"Are you?" The blind girl's words were soft. It's best not to aggravate her until I know what's going on. "I understand that your arm is broken."  
Makoto shrugged it off. "It'll heal," she replied casually.    
Shinzui had to hide a smile. The princess of Jupiter's attitude towards injuries had always reminded her of her own. "Why don't you just tell me what happened?"   
The brunette rolled her green eyes. "Look, it's not such a big deal, all right? Ami-chan beat Ishibata Junko at the Christmas district chess championships last night, and so he was being a jerk to her. He said she was cheating and all sorts of dumb stuff, and he made her cry. So I decked him. Got sloppy and landed on my arm that was my own stupid fault. It won't happen next time." Makoto became so agitated that she stood and began to pace. "Besides, even Haruka-san told me to look out for Ami-chan, and that's just exactly what I was doing. I'll do it again, too, if I have to, and next time it isn't going to be me at the hospital. I swear when I get my hands on him, I'll make him sorry he ever even frowned at Ami-chan."   
Shinzui shook her head. "Makoto, that's not like you. Defending your friends is one thing, but picking fights is quite another."  
"Are you defending him?" Makoto barked suddenly, leaning over the blind girl.  
"No, of course not. I'm only saying that-"   
"You are. You're defending him. If you're not on my side, then you're on his, and I don't tolerate anybody who talks bad about my friends." The brunette's eyes had gone dark, almost black, and her voice shook with rage.   
"Makoto-chan, that's not it at all-"  
"Shut up! Just shut up!"  
With her thousand lifetimes of fighting experience, Shinzui could sense the fist coming towards her, and she dodged out of the way just in time. Makoto lunged into the keyboard, knocking it over onto the floor and scattering the carefully stacked Braille music every which way. The furious girl straightened, and prepared to attack Shinzui again.    
"Makoto! Makoto, listen to me." But Makoto didn't stop coming, and the young blind woman ducked again as another fist went over her head. "Makoto, stop. You've got to listen. This isn't you. It's not your anger. Narcissus has done something to you I don't know what it is yet, but you've got to fight it." The green-eyed brunette took another swing at Shinzui, which she only barely managed to escape.  
"You're lying," Makoto responded, backing the blind girl into a corner. "I hate liars."  
"I'm not lying, Makoto-chan." But it was obvious that Makoto was not able to listen to her. Shinzui could feel it now, the twisted dark vines of chaos that had entwined themselves into her friend's spirit, and she knew that there was only one way to get through to her now. Turning to her guide dog, Shinzui called, "Centauri! Now!"  
Centauri didn't argue, as he knew that in her current form Shinzui would be unable to defend herself from Makoto. He concentrated an instant and then exclaimed, "Orion Constellation Power! Make Up!" Makoto froze in mid-punch as Shinzui's slender body was lifted off the floor by the power of her bracelet. For a moment, the room was lost in gentle peach light and music as the Sacrificial Soldier transformed. Sailor Orion landed on the floor in a crouching, defensive position before Makoto.   
The brunette sneered. "Oh, you want to do this the fancy way? Sounds good to me. Jupiter..." But she didn't get the chance to finish calling out her transformation, because the Orion Music Sphere was already humming before her eyes.  
Orion looked at Makoto with compassion in her gaze. "It's all right, Makoto-chan. You can't beat this one on your own. I'm going to help you." Then she sang. "Heavenly Symphony!" But this time, the melody that erupted from the Sphere was different. It was an upbeat sort of sound, with a strong rhythmn that sounded like punching and made Makoto feel like she wanted to start beating the wall to the music. Then, Sailor Orion began to sing.

_"Now what's the point of arguing, of getting in a fight_  
_Tell me does it really matter who is wrong and who is right  
_ _A simple disagreement doesn't have to lead to hate  
_ _And it doesn't mean you gotta seal somebody else's fate_

_"So don't let pride get in the way  
_ _Don't let your ego take control  
_ _If you want to stand for goodness, got to listen to your soul  
_ _Got to turn the other cheek_   
_Got to learn to take a joke  
_ _Cause the fighting's never worth watching your life go up in smoke_

_"So when someone makes you angry and you clench your fists in rage  
_ _And you're picturing their face on the obituary page  
_ _When you want to smash their face in, cut their heart out with a spoon  
_ _You'd better think about it carefully and don't react so soon_

_"So don't let pride get in the way  
_ _Don't let your ego take control  
_ _If you want to stand for goodness, got to listen to your soul  
_ _Got to turn the other cheek  
_ _Got to learn to take a joke  
_ _Cause the fighting's never worth watching your life go up in smoke_

_"If you make every argument a personal crusade  
_ _And you launch a one-man war to make sure every hurt's repaid  
_ _It's only logic that one day you'll pick a fight with someone new  
_ _He'll be bigger, he'll be stronger-- You will end up black and blue_

_"So don't let pride get in the way  
_ _Don't let your ego take control  
_ _If you want to stand for goodness, got to listen to your soul  
_ _Got to turn the other cheek  
_ _Got to learn to take a joke  
_ _ Cause the fighting's never worth watching your life go up in smoke."_

As Orion sang, she could feel the darkness that had encapsulated Makoto's heart begin to relax its grip, weaken, and very slowly fade away. Makoto felt it too, as the healing, calming melody seemed to rinse her spirit from the fury and rage of a few moments ago. By the time she'd reached the last verse, the evil influence seemed to have vanished completely.   
Makoto stared at Orion in complete surprise, as the tall Sailor Scout detransformed. Her _fuku _shimmered away and was replaced by her usual skirt and sweater. The Orion Music Sphere also disappeared, and Shinzui's eyes clouded over as her vision once again left her. The two girls were left facing one another for a long, awkward moment of silence. Makoto wasn't sure what to say.  
"Gosh, Shinzui-san, I I'm really sorry." The brunette looked down at the cast on her arm, as she remembered all of a sudden why it was she was in Shinzui's studio in the first place. "Man, they were right when they said I needed counseling. I even wanted to hit you! And I can't believe I really tried to deck the captain of the football team!" Makoto shook her head. At this statement, though, Shinzui could not hold back the giggles. Makoto tilted her head curiously. "What's so funny?" she demanded.   
The young blind girl calmed her mirth and took a deep breath. "I was just thinking that they sent you to the wrong person for counseling," Shinzui replied with an amused grin. "To be honest, if I'd seen him treating Ami like that, I probably would have done the same thing."   
Makoto's eyes lit up. "Yeah," she agreed. "I mean, I knew you were a fighter when I saw you hit that guy down in Hell's Mouth even before we found out that you're Sailor Orion. I wish you'd been there when Junko was saying all that junk. We could have really straightened him out, you and me."  
Shinzui's expression grew serious again, and she shook her head. "No, Makoto, I'm not a fighter. I'm a soldier, and there is a definite difference." She could tell that the younger girl was a bit confused by her words, and she sighed. "There was a time, Makoto, when I was a fighter. I didn't care who or when or where; if someone crossed me, I wiped them out. No mercy, no compassion, and no regrets I just destroyed. But I eventually came to realize that being a fighter was dangerous and even foolish. People that you love can get hurt, and you can get hurt and even when you're fighting for the right reasons, if you go about it the wrong way it won't mean anything even if you do win. You can't defeat the darkness by becoming darkness yourself." Shinzui's voice was very gentle. "A soldier, Makoto, knows when to pick their battles. They fight fire with water, not with more fire."  
Makoto nodded. "I think that's what Usagi was trying to say to me yesterday, at the hospital. But she didn't put it quite so eloquently." Makoto's tone was a bit mischievous, but she was surprised when a sudden wistfulness crossed the blind girl's features.   
"As a matter of fact, it was the Princess who taught me this," she said quietly. "If it hadn't been for her unconditional faith in love and peace, I would probably still be the fighter I once was." Shinzui shook her head slowly. "I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. But the Princess somehow manages to defeat her enemies, not with violence, but with love. Even when they are so much more powerful than she is, even when she doesn't stand a chance in combat against them, she still manages to win, because her faith in love is more powerful than the strongest of enemies. I've seen it happen more times than I can count and now I believe in it as well." Then she winked one of her vacant eyes at Makoto. "But my faith isn't quite as strong as hers, so sometimes I have to cheat and use my fists."   
Makoto smiled back at her, but there was a note of sadness in the girl's voice that kept her from finding it truly funny. She felt remorse fill her as she recalled the events of only a few minutes before, when she had been chasing Shinzui around the room with her own fists. Well, the uninjured one, anyway. "Listen, Shinzui-san, I'm really sorry about before. I don't know what came over me."  
"I do." Shinzui's voice was quiet. "Narcissus has once again got some trick up his sleeve. I intend to find out what it is."   
"Not without me, you don't," Makoto declared with a grin. "We soldiers have to stick together."  
Shinzui grinned back at her. "Well, all right then," she acknowledged before turning to her golden retriever. "Centauri, my friend, it would seem I'm going to need your assistance once again."

"What happened here?" Sailor Jupiter gasped, surveying the streets of rioting people. Everywhere on the ground were unconcious bodies, bleeding and broken, lying in the rapidly accumulating snow. As she watched, some motorist tried to run down a couple of squabbling women who just barely managed to get out of the way. One of them pulled a knife on the other, and began to swing at her with it. All around them there were people fighting; some had baseball bats and knives, and Jupiter could have sworn she heard gunshots. The usual silence that came with the snow was broken over and over again by angry bellowing.  
Sailor Orion shook her head. "I still don't know, but this just reeks of the Negaverse. Jupiter, call the others. I'm going to start cleaning up this mess."  
Jupiter could hear the music of the Orion Sphere behind her as she slipped behind a building and flipped on her communicator. Snowflakes drifted past her cheeks as she spoke into it. "Usagi-chan? Ami-chan? Minako-chan? Rei-chan? Everybody listen up. Something really weird is going on down here. You'd better get over here right away." There was a chorus of affirmative responses as her friends got the message. As she snapped the communicator shut, Jupiter heard a familiar deep voice.  
"World Shaking!"   
Sailor Jupiter's eyes widened as she realized that the golden attack was headed straight for Sailor Orion. "Orion, look out!" she yelled as loud as she could, racing towards the tall Sailor Senshi. Sailor Orion looked up just as the planet-shaped burst of power approached her, and she threw herself out of the way. Uranus' attack went past her and crashed into a streetlamp, knocking it over and sending a shower of sparks out over the unconcious people in the snow.  
Jupiter stared up at Sailor Uranus, who was glaring sullenly down at them from atop a nearby office building. "What the heck are you doing?" she demanded furiously before turning to the peach-and-black Soldier. "Orion, are you all right?"  
Sailor Orion nodded as she rose to her feet, brushing the cold white stuff off of her _fuku_. "It's all right, Jupiter. She couldn't help it." Orion looked up at the Magnifiscent Soldier of Uranus with a gentle expression. She summoned the power of the Music Sphere again. "Heavenly Symphony!" As the melody again filled the streets, clearing the Negaverse's energy from the souls of the people, the riots began to calm. Uranus and Neptune leapt from the building to the street, landing right in front of Jupiter. A moment later they were joined by Pluto.  
"Sailor Orion," said Pluto in that timeless voice of hers, "what is happening here?"  
Still concentrating on her powers, Orion shook her head. "I'm not sure yet," she replied. "We need Mercury's computer. This has all the marks of a Negaverse attack. With all this snow, you'd think a jet black evil creature would be rather conspicuous, but I don't see a _jaki_ anywhere."  
"That's because it's wearing something that renders it invisible." The Scouts turned to see Sailor Mercury and the others come running up behind them. Mercury was busily punching buttons on her mini-computer as she scanned the area. "My readings say that there is a _jaki _here, and that it's got some sort of device that transmits negative energy through touch."  
Sailor Venus stepped forward to peer over her shoulder, though she couldn't make any sense whatsoever of the numbers and diagrams flickering across the little screen. "So, what does that mean, exactly? Like this thing is going around touching people and making them go crazy?"  
Sailor Orion's silvery eyes darkened. "Of course. I should have known."  
"What do you mean, Orion?" Mercury inquired, looking up at the pale-haired senshi.  
"Aquila's Chaos Medallion. That _jaki_ is wearing one of Sailor Aquila's medallions." She shook her head. "The invisibility, the aggression I don't know why I didn't recognize it before."  
Mercury frowned. "Sailor Aquila? Who's that?"  
Orion sighed. "No time to explain now. His powers are from the Realm of Air, like yours, Sailor Mercury. So"  
"So I should be able to negate the effects of the medallion," Mercury finished for her, catching on quickly. She turned to scan the area once again. "It's over there," she declared after a moment, pointing towards a dark alley. Snapping her computer shut, Mercury lifted her hands above her head. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" she cried, sending a glittering attack in the direction that she'd indicated. For a moment it was impossible to see anything, but then a black translucent shape came darting from the alley.  
"There's our boy," Sailor Orion grunted with satisfaction. Sailor Pluto leapt into the air, landing right in front of the _jaki _so it could not escape in that direction. The Revolutionary Soldier nodded to Orion, and Orion grinned back. "Heavenly Symphony!" she sang out, as the Orion Sphere began to pulse with light again. The evil creature covered its nonexistent ears, but it was no use. With a screech of fury, the creature melted away into the snow-covered pavement of the street, returning to a dark puddle of oily stuff that was aborbed into the cement in a manner of moments. It left behind a small golden medallion, glittering among the snowdrifts. Sailor ChibiMoon ran over to the medallion and looked at it, then she looked back at Orion uncertainly.  
"Can I touch it?" she inquired first, remembering how the sun dust that had belonged to Sailor Pheonix had been dangerous to touch, and she'd come close to losing her hand. But this time, Orion nodded.  
"Yes. Mercury's attack has numbed its effects for a while. Here, give it to me."  
The pink-haired senshi-in-training picked it up and brought it to Sailor Orion, placing it in her palm. Orion looked at the symbol imprinted on it. "This is Aquila's, all right. Which means that we're going to be seeing Lord Narcissus in approximately" she paused, then began to count. "Three two one"  
"Give it back!"  
Orion turned with a snide smile as the apparition of the Negaverse admiral appeared before them. "Right on time, Narcissus. I suppose you've come for this." She dangled the medallion from her fingertip.  
"Give it to me, Orion." There was a note of near desparation in the Negaverse Lord's voice, and the other Senshi looked at one another with surprise. Was he really-begging?   
Sailor Orion swung the medallion casually from her finger. "Oh, I don't know, Lord Narcissus. I was sort of thinking of adding it to my collection. It would look simply lovely with this little light blue dress I just bought."  
"Give it back to me. You have to."   
Orion could see the fear in the admiral's eyes, and she knew full well that he had every reason to be afraid. If Aquila didn't get his medallion back, Narcissus was as good as dead. And Narcissus knew it. Orion didn't hold any love for the admiral, but she had seen what happened to those who got on Aquila's bad side. And she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy. Still, she wanted to make Narcissus sweat a bit. "I don't see why I should give it back to you. Finders keepers, you know. If you want it so badly, why don't you just come take it from me?"  
"I can't right now," Narcissus answered, his voice sounding piteously close to a whine. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus snickered behind gloved hands.  
Orion's silver eyes widened innocently. "Oh that's right, you can't, can you? Not without some _jaki_'s body to take over." She pretended to consider for a moment. "Tell you what. Why don't you go get one of your little evil spirits, bring them over here, and then we can fight for it? I'll wait."  
Narcissus shook his head, his lavender hair falling into his eyes. "There's no time," he insisted, beginning to sound a bit panicked. "Aquila has to have that back in one hour, or"  
"I see," Orion responded, sounding almost disappointed. "Such a shame. I would have enjoyed stomping the stuffing out of you again." She sighed in that tinkling, bell-like way, and looked down at the medallion in her hand again. "It's awfully pretty," she mused slowly, antagonizingly. "But I suppose this shade of blue doesn't really go with my eyes." The silver-gray eyes locked to the pale purple ones. "I suppose I'll let you have it back."  
Narcissus seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he reached out to take the necklace from her hand, but Orion snatched it back. "Ah, ah," she said, shaking her head with a patronizing smile. "What do you say?"   
The admiral glared at her, but managed to choke out stiffly, "Thank you."  
"That's better." She handed the Chaos Medallion back to the Negaverse Lord, and he vanished abruptly. The other Scouts looked at one another and began to giggle.

"Well, if it isn't the brave little girl with the broken arm."  
Makoto and Shinzui looked up as Ishibata Junko approached them through the falling snow, an expression of derision on his face. Makoto frowned. "What do you want, Junko?" She and Shinzui were on their way back to the Banpuku center to meet with Oberon, and she was not in the mood for this.  
The huge boy grinned at her unpleasantly. "Nothing much. Just wanted to make sure you learned your lesson last time." He held out his arms triumphantly. "Don't go against the master."  
Shinzui spoke up then, her delicate voice echoing prettily in the frosty air. "Makoto learned a lesson, yes. But it wasn't from you."   
Junko regarded the blind girl with contempt. "And just who are you?" he spat out. "Boy, Kino-san, you sure are a champion when it comes to picking friends. Cheaters, crybabies and know-it-all blind chicks you have such refined taste."   
Makoto's muscles tensed, but she felt Shinzui's gentle hand on her arm, and she did not try to hit him again. Shinzui regarded Junko with her opaque, vacant eyes for a moment, and then responded quietly. "She does have good taste, doesn't she? After all, she could have made a real mistake, and started hanging out with the real riff-raff like football players."   
Junko glared at her, and reached out, intending to seize Shinzui's wrist. "Just who do you" But Shinzui sidestepped his advance, and the enormous boy stepped right onto a patch of ice. His weight worked against him, as he was now off balance, and he slipped. His chin landed a few inches away from Shinzui's boot, and she giggled; a light, airy sound.   
"You should be more careful," she said with amusement. "A person could break their arm, falling on the ice like that." Shinzui and Makoto smiled at one another as they continued down the sidewalk towards the youth center, leaving the big bully behind to pick himself up out of the snow.

"What's the matter, Haruka?" Michiru took a seat on the window bench, facing her friend.  
Haruka stared down at the street, at the cars moving slowly through the snow, the windshield wipers beating back and forth. "I attacked her." Her tones were low. "I actually attacked her."  
Michiru shook her head, her teal curls bouncing. "Don't worry about it, Haruka. Remember what Mercury said? That medallion thing was making everyone act a little crazy. Besides, Orion didn't seem to worry about it too much."  
Haruka smiled at Michiru as best she could, and turned her gaze back to the window. "I guess you're right." She tried to make her voice sound cheerful, but she couldn't keep the shadow from her eyes as she looked down out of the window at the snow-covered world below. _She still doesn't understand,_ Haruka realized as the watched the creeping cars. _I attacked Orion before I knew what I was doing but I'm certain that the _jaki_ never touched me. _Outside, the snow continued to fall, and the neon Christmas lights winked at her merrily. Haruka did not wink back.

[Back to Part Eleven][1]  
[On to Part Thirteen][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic11.htm
   [2]: fanfic13.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	13. A concert and a battle! The Sailor Sensh...

Part Thirteen: A concert and a battle! The Sailor Senshi's Christmas

Shinzui's head came up even before she heard the knock. "We're going to have a visitor," she said to Centauri as she rose to her feet. The golden retriever regarded his mistress with a smile. He did not have to inquire how she knew; Centauri was completely aware of Shinzui's mental sensitivity to her friends.  
"Who is it?" he asked, as the knock finally sounded on the apartment door.  
Shinzui did not reply, but she ruffled the silky fur of his head gently as she went to answer the door. "Michiru! What a lovely surprise." The tall blind girl welcomed Kaioh Michiru into the apartment. "Please, come in. I was just about to make some tea. Would you like some?"  
Michiru nodded. "Yes, thank you." The graceful musician took a seat on Shinzui's cream-colored davenport as Shinzui stepped behind the kitchen counter that faced the living room. She watched the young blind woman with interest as she deftly filled the teapot with water and placed it on the stove, and opened the cabinet above her to locate the tea. Shinzui raised two different boxes of tea to her face, inhaling. She seemed to determine the type of tea from its scent, because she turned to Michiru.  
"Would you like peppermint tea or Earl Grey?" she inquired sweetly.   
"Oh, the peppermint sounds lovely."  
Shinzui winked a vacant eye at her. "I thought you might say that. As I recall, you always did have a special fondness for peppermint tea." She put one of the boxes back into the cupboard, and began to put the contents of the other into her china teapot.  
Michiru took a moment to survey the apartment somehow it was precisely as she imagined Shinzui's apartment would be. Everything was neat and tidy and clean, and decorated in peach and cream colors. Long peach chiffon curtains floated over the windows, and the cream colored davenport and loveseat were accented with small peach brocade pillows. The carpet, soft and almost silky looking, was a pale cream color, and along one wall was a glass case. Displayed prettily on the shelves was a collection of blown glass flowers. Above the mantel was a beautiful painting of a fairyland-like waterfall, and arranged neatly along the mantel were several smaller framed pictures. Michiru recognized Shinzui and her sister in several of them two pale-haired, gray-eyed girls, one short and plump and with bright, eager eyes; the other tall, slender, with that familiar opaque gaze. One picture in particular caught her attention. It was a photograph of the two girls, much younger of course, sitting on the floor at the feet of a smiling couple who had their arms around them. The woman was beautiful, with pale blue hair and dove-gray eyes and a sweet, gentle smile. The man had white hair and green eyes and a happy-go-lucky expression that made Michiru want to laugh right along with him.  
"Are these your parents?" Michiru asked.  
Shinzui came to stand next to her, tilting her face up towards the picture even though she couldn't see it. "Yes. My mother and father."  
Michiru gazed at the picture thoughtfully. "What happened to them?" she wanted to know.  
A slow, sad smile touched the blind girl's lips. "A car accident, when I was twelve. Sachiko and I were in the car as well, but we survived. They didn't."   
"I'm so sorry."  
"So am I." The answer was gentle and sorrowful. Shinzui reached out to touch the photograph. "Of course, these pictures don't mean much to me. I was blind as a child as well; I don't remember my parent's faces like this. I remember shapes." She turned to the mantelpiece and picked up two small bronze statue busts; and for the first time Michiru noticed that the busts had been fashioned in the likeness of the man and woman in the photograph. Shinzui ran her fingers over the features of the statuettes tenderly. "This is how I remember my parents," she said quietly, offering the bronze busts to Michiru to look at. The blind girl smiled as Michiru also touched the small metal faces. "Sachiko made those for me, after they died. So I could remember them too."  
Michiru looked closely at the busts, then back up at Shinzui. "Your sister is an artist, then?"  
Shinzui nodded. "She did that painting up there," she told her, indicating the magical waterfall that Michiru had noticed a few moments before. "And she made those flowers in a glass-blowing seminar." Shinzui pointed out the delicate glass flowers in the case. She smiled fondly. "Sachiko has so much talent. I just wish I could see many of the things she creates."   
"How is your sister? I mean, is she-" Michiru was uncertain as to how to finish her question without sounding rude. The last time she'd seen Sachiko, the girl had been so high on drugs that they'd had to rush her to the hospital.  
Shinzui smiled. "Sachiko is doing much better. As a matter of fact, she left on a plane this morning for London she's been asked to host a special Christmas art show gala this year at one of the most prominent galleries in England. It's a great honor, and I'm so proud of her; she was really excited about it."  
"You didn't go with her?" Michiru inquired in surprise. "But that means you'll be alone over Christmas."  
The taller girl shook her head. "I can't leave now. Not with the jaki showing up everywhere. I can't just go off and leave the Princess to fight alone this is my battle, not hers, and I'm not about to go take a vacation at the moment." She turned in Centauri's direction. The golden retriever was curled up on the armchair near them, and he lifted his head. "Besides, I won't be alone. Centauri is always with me."  
Her dog rose to his feet and left the armchair, coming over to nuzzle against his mistress' hand. "That's right," he affirmed, meeting Michiru's gaze. "I'll be looking after Shinzui."  
The aqua haired violinist smiled at that, and turned back to the blind girl. "Actually, Shinzui-san, I came here today because wanted to ask you for a favor."  
Shinzui cocked her head. "What sort of favor?" she inquired melodiously.  
"Well, I'm supposed to be performing in a Christmas concert on Christmas Eve over at the Tenth Street Music Hall. They've asked me to play Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker Suite', and I'm having some difficulty with the interpretation of the pieces because they are so varied. I was hoping, perhaps, that you might be willing to help me with it."  
The tall blind girl giggled. "Of course I will. I adore Tchaikovsky." But then she seemed to become very serious. "Michiru-san, does Haruka-san know you're here?" Her vacant dove-gray eyes were very soft.   
Michiru blushed a bit. "Well, no, not really. She went to one of her races today. I thought it might be best if I didn't mention that I was coming to see you. She's been having a very difficult time lately with all of this."  
"I know." Shinzui sighed, and tucked a stray strand of pale hair behind one ear. Her voice was gentle. "Are you sure it's going to be all right for me to help you? I don't want to upset Haruka-san any more than can be helped."  
The turquoise eyes narrowed a bit, mischievously. "Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt you and me," she responded with a wink. But Shinzui's expression only seemed to grow more sorrowful, and the blind girl shook her head.   
"I'm worried about hurting _her_, Michiru-san. I don't want to cause her any more pain." Her voice softened until it was nearly inaudible. "I've hurt her enough already."  
Michiru frowned for a moment in puzzlement, but there was a note of something in Shinzui's voice that warned her not to pry any farther. Instead, she just smiled. "It will be all right, Shinzui-san, really. We won't tell Haruka about this, and if she does find out for some reason, you just let me handle her. She can't stay angry with me for very long."  
The blind girl had to return the smile. It was true that the princesses of Uranus and Neptune had always been close, closer even than sisters. If anyone could soothe Haruka's tumultous emotions, it would be Michiru. Shinzui nodded. "All right then. When would you like to start?"  
"Well, it just so happens that I've got my violin with me," Michiru responded with a smile. "Do you have a bit of time to spare?"  
Shinzui giggled then at the other girl's good-natured impertinence. "Why not? Come with me into the back room it's sort of my music studio, and we can work there."  
"Could we start with the Waltz of the Flowers? It's one of the pieces giving me the most trouble."  
"Sure we can. Did you know that Waltz was one of the first pieces of Tchaikovsky's suite to be choreographed" The girls' voices faded as Shinzui shut the studio door.

"She's coming." The three golden robed figures straightened as the familiar pale silhouette approached them through the mists.   
"Greetings, my Guardians." The Sacred Child's voice echoed delicately against the steaming metal of the pipes above them. She extended a slender hand to the center figure, who took it in his own and pressed it to his lips.   
"Greetings, Child," Guardian Brother responded as he released her fingers. The Child then turned to Guardian Father, rising on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his forehead.  
"Guardian Father." She turned to her right to shake hands warmly with the figure on that end. "Guardian Friend." Then the Child turned back to the center figure and embraced him sweetly though they had already greeted one another, this was part of their ritual, something they had done almost since the dawn of time. "Guardian Brother."  
The three robed Guardians returned her greetings, but to everyone's astonishment it was Oberon who quickly brought up their business.  
"Child. We have been searching to no avail. I feel that the Silver Dagger is somewhere nearby, and yet I cannot determine its location." The whispering voice, like wind through the treetops, seemed to be carried on the hissing from the pipes.  
Neophilus nodded. "This is true, Child. I, too, can feel the presence of the Dagger. But so far our search for it has been unfruitful."  
Demetrius, in the center, shook his head. "You'd think that of all the blood I see coming through the hospital's emergency room, that I'd have at least seen a hint of the Dagger by now. But there has been nothing."  
The Child listened to this very quietly. Though they could not see her expression, the Guardians knew she was concerned. But her voice was light. "Do not be discouraged, my friends. We still have plenty of time. The Dagger will reveal itself soon enough; we just have to be ready for it when it does appear."  
Demetrius shook his head. "I have continued to search the Book of Balance for another way, Child. I know that it exists the more I study the more certain I am that the gate can be resealed without the Sacrifice. But the answer still eludes me. I just can't-" Guardian Brother's voice broke with frustration, and he could not continue. The girl's hand was gentle on his shoulder.   
"It will be all right, Guardian Brother," she assured him softly, and he could hear the encouraging smile in her bell-like tones. "If there is another way, then I know you will be able to find it. But perhaps you are looking too hard."  
"Or else I'm not looking hard enough," Demetrius snapped back. The Child did not seem dismayed by his uncharacteristic outburst, her touch on his shoulder remaining unfalteringly comforting, but Guardian Brother still felt immediately guilty. "I'm sorry, Child. I didn't mean for it to sound that way. It's just that"  
"You're frustrated because you want this so much." The girl's voice, so sweet and clear and soft, seemed to echo his own heart for a moment, and all he could do was nod. The Child shook her head, her pale hair glowing in the electric blue light, and he could see a glint of understanding in her eyes as the light swept over them briefly. She was then shrouded in darkness once again. "Demetrius, my brother, I think that of all of us, the Sacrifice is hardest for you. You are required to do the one thing that breaks your heart, over and over again. I understand your frustration, Guardian Brother. I wish there was something I'm so very sorry that I must put you through this."  
Demetrius stared at her, all former frustration forgotten, and his voice was shocked. "I should have known you'd find some way to take the blame for my problems," he said, astonished.   
The Child sighed. "I don't have to claim the blame for it, Demetrius. It's my fault that the Sacrifice was made necessary in the first place. The Gate and all that has occurred to create it that's all my fault. And so it is my fault that you must endure this pain as well." Her voice was full of sorrow. "No matter how I try to make things right, I just go on hurting the people I love. Even when I'm helping them." The pale hair glimmered as she shook her head, and Demetrius could hear the tears in her voice. "If I could just stop If I could just not cause pain anymore then I think I would be happy. But I can't do that, or everything will stop right along with me the past would win and there will be no future. I have to live the rest of eternity causing pain to the people that I love in order to save them from myself. It's a circle and I can't escape from it. I'm so sorry, my friends, that you have to be trapped in it as well."  
Now it was Demetrius' turn to be tearful. "Don't say that, Child," he ordered passionately. "You're not the only one at fault here we Guardians are as much to blame as you, because we allowed this to happen. We didn't see it coming until it was too late, and we ignored all the warning signs because we didn't want to believe it. I should have gone out there myself and done something instead of staying in the Celestial Hall twiddling my thumbs and wishing it away. It's not your fault."  
"It doesn't matter whose fault it is." This quiet voice came from Oberon, who stepped between them and regarded both of them evenly. "Blaming ourselves is useless we cannot change time. Not even Pluto had enough power to restore the Blend once it had been destroyed. We cannot waste time looking back, my friends. We must look forward, and forward alone. We will continue our search for the alternative answer to the Sacrifice, and in the meantime, focus on maintaining the Balance through the Sacrifice until that answer is found. Which means that we must be thinking about the Silver Dagger, and not become distracted by regrets."  
The Child was quiet for a moment, but the Guardians were certain, even in the dimness, that she was smiling. "Oberon, my friend, I think that is the longest speech I have ever heard you make." Her voice was teasing. "But you are right, as always, Guardian Friend." She turned to Demetrius. "We will do as we have always done, Guardian Brother. We will concentrate on the Balance, and with the Princess on our side, everything will be all right in the end. Somehow she always makes it right. Have faith in her."  
Demetrius nodded, as he too began to think of the Moon Princess' purity of heart. "It's true," he agreed quietly. "Princess Serenity has a power of soul that could even rival mine, I think I've never seen it so pure and unadulterated as it is in her. If anyone will find the answer to the Sacrifice" suddenly Guardian Brother's eyes widened. "That's it! That's it, Child. We should reveal ourselves to the Princess. She would help"  
"No." This reply was in unison, both from the Sacred Child and Guardian Father. Demetrius turned and frowned at them.  
"Why not?"  
"You know why," Neophilus declared, his authoritative tones thundering through the dank tunnels. "Because the past is the past. There is no need to dredge it up again." He looked over at the girl standing before him. "She has lived through it once. We should not make her endure it again."  
The Sacred Child shook her head. "I endure it every day, Neophilus. I am ashamed of what I was, but I am not hesitant to remind the Princess of it should the need arise. But you know as well as I that every bit of knowledge we reveal places her in danger. Our enemies will target the Princess and the other Senshi if they know too much, and I will not allow that to happen just for my own benefit." She smiled rather sadly at Demetrius. "Besides, Guardian Brother, can't you remember? There have been many lifetimes in which I have found it necessary to reveal everything to the Princess, and she was still unable to help find the alternative to the Sacrifice. The only thing that resulted was an even greater despair and sorrow as she was forced to stand by and allow the Sacrifice to continue. I will not put her through that unless it is absolutely necessary."  
Guardian Brother sighed. "You always say that, Child. You're always thinking of other people. But I'm thinking of you. What about your safety, your happiness?"  
"Irrelevant and undeserved."  
"You don't mean that, Child."  
"I do. I most definitely mean it. I don't deserve to be happy, not ever; not after what I've done. And my safety is insignificant. The only thing that matters is keeping the Princess and the Balance safe." Her voice was firm.  
Demetrius looked at his two companions, and then back at her. "But, Child, perhaps we should at least tell them about the Sacrifice. The Sailor Senshi could be of great help to us in our search. Surely we could tell them about the Dagger and the Gate without revealing too much of the past. Just that much couldn't put her in much danger, could it?"  
The Child was quiet for a moment. "I will think about it," she finally responded. Just then, the stone set into her belt began to pulse with a gentle light, and beeped softly. The Child straightened her shoulders. "They've tracked us again," she said to her Guardians. "We must disband now." Leaning forward, she kissed Neophilus on the forehead once again. "Safe questing, Guardian Father." She shook hands with Oberon. "Safe questing, Guardian Friend." She then pulled Demetrius into an embrace, which he returned, his heart so full that he could not speak. He didn't have to. He knew she understood. Pulling back, the Child smiled at him. "Safe questing, Guardian Brother," she whispered quietly.   
The three golden figures bowed to her. "Safe questing, Child," they responded. The girl in white turned quickly and strode away, the clicking of her heels echoing through the maze of metal and stone. The Guardians watched her go in silence, and then they too turned in the opposite direction, and were swallowed up by the thick mists.

"What do you have there?"  
"Go away, Lady Slipper!!"  
"Oh, come now, my dear Admiral don't be like that. Friends shouldn't keep secrets from one another. Show me what you have in your hand there."  
"I'm not your friend, Lady Slipper. And I have no intention of showing anything to you, except one particular musical Sailor pest in a coffin, delivered to the Avatar's front doorstep!"  
"Oh, I see." Lady Slipper's voice was mocking, as usual. "You can't find the Dagger so you'll present the Avatar with a sort of peace offering, is that it?"  
"It won't be a peace offering. It will be a demonstration. To show the Avatar what I'm capable of." Lord Narcissus' tone was boasting. Lady Slipper giggled at him.  
"Why, my dear Narcissus, you've already demonstrated to the Avatar exactly what you're capable of. Let's see, how many jaki have you lost to the Sailor Scouts now?"  
"Shut up. This time that little Orion brat is going to be mine for certain."  
"Oh, really? Well, this should be interesting. Who gave you his assistance this time? Sailor Delphinus? Or was it Draco?"  
"For your information, I don't need help from anyone." There was silence for a moment. "But Sailor Gemini did lend me one of his combs. Which I accepted only because I didn't want to hurt his feelings."  
"Of course you did." There was another giggle. "Well, at least you chose a bit more wisely this time. Gemini has hundreds of those combs, so when this one is destroyed at least he won't be coming after you."  
"It's not going to be destroyed," Narcissus growled at her. "This is going to work. It's too perfect not to work. This comb is going to infuse Orion with my dark power as soon as it touches her hair. It will drain her energy bit by bit until there's nothing left, and then all I'll need to do is show up to collect her pretty little corpse."  
"And just how, exactly, do you plan on getting her to wear that thing? As I recall, Sailor Orion isn't much for fancy frills."  
"Oh, she'll wear it all right, if she thinks it's a gift from her favorite person in the world. Don't forget that I watched Sailor Moon transform."  
Lady Slipper began to laugh. "Oh, Narcissus, you never learn, do you? You just keep on making the same mistakes over and over again. How long is it going to take before you stop underestimating the Senshi?"  
"Look, just shut up. I don't care what you say, I'm going to get her this time. You'll see." There was a pause as Lady Slipper giggled again, but apparently Narcissus was ignoring her now, because he called out for his jaki. A drop of the glistening black goo began to gather at the edge of the aperture. Their entire conversation had emanated from this breach in the air, and now the shining black stuff that lined its edge had balled into a drop at the lowermost point. This droplet grew big enough to finally fall free, and it struck the surface of the black stone below with a splattering, hissing sound; like a drop of water in a hot skillet. The dark substance began to shift and swell, increasing its mass until it had finally taken shape.   
This creature was smaller than most of its predecessors, but no less unattractive. A bulbous, swollen head was attatched to shriveled shoulders that graduated into arms like an ape's-- long and dragging on the ground. The broad, malformed chest quickly jutted into a pair of stubby legs, and at the tips of its feet were sets of bells each hideous foot bore three small golden bells that jingled as the spirit moved. The gleaming teeth of this monster were also golden, and they sparkled merrily as the jaki addressed its master. "Jaki here, Lord Narcissus."  
"I have a special delivery for you to make." There was more ominous laughter, and the evil spirit grinned back.

"Where were you today?" The question was meant to sound casual, but Michiru did not miss the note of reproof in her partner's voice.  
"I had to rehearse for the Christmas Eve concert. You know it's tomorrow night," she responded lightly, patting Haruka's cheek lightly as she stepped past into the kitchen.  
"I know that, Michiru. But you promised you'd come to the track today to watch the final heats," the rich voice pouted teasingly, and Michiru had to smile at her friend.   
"I'm sorry about that, Haruka. But I was working on 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' and we lost track of time." Her aqua curls bounced as she winked at Haruka. "Besides, I knew you were going to win anyway." The blond racer did not wink back.  
"We?" she inquired, curiosity creeping into her voice. "Who's we?"  
Michiru's eyes widened, but it was difficult to tell if it was from surprise or from innocence. "Oh, the pianist I'm going to be performing with. We needed to work on our pieces together." _Which is not exactly a lie, since Shinzui did agree to perform with me for the concert. I need her inspiration behind me if I'm going to pull this off. _  
Haruka frowned. "But you and I usually play together," she pointed out with a hint of disappointment. "Why didn't you ask me?"  
Michiru shook her head. "You're too busy right now, Haruka, getting ready for the Christmas District Races. You don't have time to learn Tchaikovsky at the moment. And besides, heaven forbid I should come between you and your motorcyle!" Michiru winked at Haruka again, and this time Haruka grinned back at her. "Now, what do you want for dinner?" she inquired brightly, changing the subject so smoothly that Haruka scarcely noticed it. The blond tomboy pretended to scratch her head.  
"Well, now you've got me thinking about sugared plums," she teased, and Michiru playfully swatted her.   
"Come on, be serious."  
"Oh, all right then. How about _gyouza_?" Michiru nodded, and turned to one of the cupboards to pull down the flour. Haruka watched her for a moment, and couldn't resist adding, "And maybe some plum sauce?" Michiru groaned melodramatically and swatted at her again. "Or what about stuffed plums?"  
"Oh, cut it out, Haruka."  
" Plum pie?"  
"Haruka."  
"Or some of those great noodles you make with a nice plum relish?"  
"You're asking for it, Haruka."  
"Or even better how about some prunes?"  
"That does it!" Michiru tossed a handful of flour right into her partner's face, with a giggle. The white cloud of powder adhered to her nose and eyebrows, and Haruka opened her eyes and had to blink several times as her lashes were coated with the flour.   
"Oh, so that's how it is," she responded as Michiru broke into a fit of laughing at the sight of her. Haruka reached into one of the nearby earthenware jugs on the counter. "I think someone is asking for a fistful of rice down her back."  
Michiru's eyes got bigger. "You wouldn't dare."  
"Come here." The deep voice resonated with mischief.  
"No way!"   
"Come here."  
"I don't think so." The aqua-haired girl backed away from the counter, and Haruka stood up, following her, a wicked grin on her flour-dusted face. Michiru gave a little shriek of glee, and ran from her into the next room, with Haruka right on her heels. Their merry chase would last a while, and probably get much more messy in the process; and when it was over and Haruka felt sufficently avenged they'd most likely go out to eat somewhere. They'd stay out an extra long time, maybe even go dancing for a while, so that the lady who cleaned their apartment would have to arrive and take care of the mess. _That's what I love about Haruka_, Michiru mused to herself, then screamed playfully as her partner caught up to her and snatched her around the waist. As the cold grains of rice were dumped inside the back of her dress, she laughed and shivered and protested indignantly all at once. _With her around, how could I ever get bored?_

"Ooh, Shinzui-san what's this?"  
Shinzui came over to where Michiru was standing at the makeup counter, and Michiru placed the item in her hand. She smiled when she recognized it. "Oh, this is a little Christmas present from the Princess."  
"From Usagi? Really?" Michiru gazed down at the small golden comb, encrusted with little amber-colored stones. "It's beautiful. This must have cost her a fortune."  
"I think so too. It's funny, but somehow that comb seems familiar to me. I think it's very valuable, which is why I can't keep it. I think the Princess knew I wouldn't accept it anyway, because she didn't give it to me herself. She just knocked on the dressing room door and dashed off on her white horse."  
Michiru frowned. "White horse?"  
Shinzui laughed a bit. "Yes I think the Princess was wearing some Christmas bells on her shoes, because I could hear them jingling all the way down the hall when she ran off. It reminded me of that old nursery rhyme, you know:  
_"__Ride a cock-horse to Dansbury Cross  
__ To see a young lady upon a white horse  
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes  
And she shall have music wherever she goes."_  
The violinist had to laugh at that. "Well, I suppose that's Usagi for you," she conceded with a giggle. "Sneaking backstage right before a concert!" Then she picked up the small card lying on the counter, that had been scrawled in very messy _Hiragana_. "To Shinzui-san. From Usagi." Next to that there was a little cartoon drawing of a rabbit and some little hearts and stars. Michiru smiled as she set the card down. "But won't Usagi-chan be terribly disappointed if you don't keep the comb? I mean, she can be so sensitive sometimes."   
Shinzui nodded. "And she can also be too generous at times. I'll do it very gently, and I don't think it will offend her." She smiled as she handed the comb back to Michiru. "Besides," she said in a confidential manner, "it really isn't my style."  
Michiru fingered the comb gently. "Shinzui-san, would it be rude of me to ask a favor?"  
"You want to wear it to the concert tonight."  
The aqua-eyed girl stared at her. "How did you know that?" she wondered.  
"I could hear it in your voice," Shinzui responded sweetly. "And no, it's not rude. I think it would look lovely on you, Michiru-san."  
Michiru blushed a bit as she turned to the mirror, holding the comb up close to her hair, trying to determine the best spot for it in her elaborate confection of aqua curls. "Oh, thank you, Shinzui-san."  
"Is Haruka-san coming to the concert?" the blind girl inquired softly. Michiru shook her head.   
"No, she isn't. She's got this Championship Race she's competing in tonight. I'm actually going to go watch her as soon as our performance is done I missed coming to the final heats and so I promised I'd be there for the big race." Shinzui nodded, and Michiru finally slid the golden comb into place, directly behind her head where it rose up like a delicate tiara, shimmering in the bright makeup lights and matching perfectly with her green-and-gold velvet evening gown. "Well," she said as she straightened, "we've still got another thirty minutes before the concert begins you want to go over the music one more time just to make sure?"  
Shinzui shook her head. "We don't need to anymore, Michiru-san. The music is inside us now. Let's keep it there until the time is right to let it out."  
Michiru nodded. "All right, then." She frowned a little as a wave of dizziness suddenly swept over her, and she gripped the chair for a moment for support.  
"Are you all right, Michiru-san?" Shinzui inquired with concern, but Michiru waved it off.   
"I'm fine," she answered. "I always get a little dizzy before a concert. I think it's my body's way of being nervous, even though I'm never really worried."  
Shinzui's expression remained attentive. "All right, then but you be sure to tell me if you think you're getting sick."  
Michiru nodded and smiled. She surveyed Shinzui critically her pale hair was pulled back in its usual simple bun, and Michiru reached out and gently pulled out a few strands from around Shinzui's face to soften the look a little. "There, that's perfect. You look elegant." She swayed again, suddenly, as another dizzy spell took hold of her, and she gripped Shinzui's shoulder to maintain her balance.  
"Michiru-san, are you sure you're all right?" Shinzui wanted to know with a frown.  
The violinist nodded again. "I'm okay, really, Shinzui-san. I think I'm just a little tired. We've been practicing so hard the last few days."  
"Here, sit down," the blind musician suggested kindly. "Rest a little before we go on. We can't have you fainting of exhaustion out there, now can we?"

_I wasn't being serious_, Shinzui thought to herself worriedly as she felt Michiru's dizziness again. They were only on the Arab Dance, and barely half finished with the performance, and the violinist's weak spells were growing in intensity. So far she had not made any mistakes, and Shinzui was certain the audience could not sense that anything was wrong, but they could not feel Michiru like she could, and she knew without a doubt that something was not right here. _I shouldn't have let her come out here like this. I should have taken her to the emergency room. She can't play like this!_  
But Michiru was playing, and what's more, she was actually playing well. Extremely well, for someone who was having trouble standing. They began the Russian Dance, and her fingers flew over the violin's strings as she stubbornly remained on her feet. Michiru did her best to recall everything that she and Shinzui had been discussing about making the music her own. The lights shining on her were so bright so bright and hot and they made her sleepy. But she couldn't focus on that now. _The music. Just think about the music and you'll be fine. Let it give you energy, give you life. Let the music be the reason you are standing, the reason you are holding your instrument, the reason you play. _Michiru could still hear Shinzui's words from their rehearsals, and now she found that she understood them. Forgetting about whether or not she had the strength to continue, Michiru found herself absorbed into the melody, until the song seemed to have a life of its own. She was her violin's instrument now, simply allowing Tchaikovsky's sweet notes to control her hands.  
From behind her, Shinzui gave a slight nod of approval as she felt her friend begin to allow the music to support her. The dizzy spells were still there; Shinzui could still sense them, but they could not affect the violinist because she was not depending on her own energy any longer. The blind girl's slender hands caressed the keys of the grand piano gently as they completed the Waltz of the Flowers together, and began the Waltz of the Snowflakes, supporting and encouraging the main melody from the violin. Shinzui paid close attention to the sensations she was receiving from the other girl on stage. She was continuing to lose energy quickly, though as long as she kept playing she would be all right. Shinzui wondered if she'd be able to reach her in time after the last piece in order to keep her from collapsing on stage._ I was only teasing when I said she might faint from exhaustion_, the blind girl reprimanded herself. _I should learn to keep my mouth shut! _The final notes of the Nutcracker Suite finally sounded, and Shinzui held onto them for as long as she dared before rising to her feet. The audience began to clap enthusiastically, and as Michiru lowered her bow Shinzui could tell that she was on the verge of passing out. The blind girl reached out and took Michiru's elbow to steady her, and the two musicians smiled and bowed gracefully to the audience. Then Shinzui carefully steered the trembling teal-haired violinist off the stage, and once they were out of sight, Michiru did indeed collapse into Shinzui's arms.  
"Come on, Michiru-san. We've got to get you to the hospital."  
"No."  
Shinzui frowned. "What do you mean, 'no?' You can barely stand up."  
Michiru took a deep breath. "Haruka," she said weakly. "I I promised her"  
The blind girl shook her head. "She'll understand if you're sick, Michiru. We have to get you some help." But the violinist gripped her hand.  
"I promised, Shinzui-san. I promised. Please" She was too weak to continue.  
Shinzui sighed, but she understood the value of a promise and knew that she could not in good concience force her friend to break hers. "All right," she agreed. "But I'm coming with you to make sure you're all right."  
Michiru squeezed her fingers. "Thank you."

"Tenou-san. We have to begin the last heat. We can't put it off any longer."|   
Haruka sighed, and brushed the short sandy hair out of her eyes. "Oh, all right. I'm coming." Her gray eyes scanned the crowd again. _Where's Michiru? She said she was coming. _The racer sighed again with disappointment. _I guess she's going to miss this one too. _As Haruka turned to mount her motorcycle, a flash of aquamarine caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to see Michiru making her way through the crowd. Haruka grinned and raised her helmet, but lowered it again as she caught sight of who it was escorting her partner. Without thinking, she dropped the helmet on the ground by her feet and stalked across the grass to the stands, completely ignoring the protests of the race manager. They couldn't start the final round without her, after all, since this final heat was a tie-breaker between her and another accomplished young racer. Haruka marched over to where Michiru had appeared, and glared. "What are you doing here?" she demanded of Shinzui, who had one hand on Centauri's harness and the other around Michiru's shoulders, supporting her.  
Shinzui's expression saddened as she heard the disgust in the racer's voice. Still, her reply was gentle. "Michiru isn't feeling well, Haruka-san, but she wouldn't let me take her to the hospital until she'd come to see you race."  
Haruka frowned at her parter, but Michiru just smiled back at her, albeit a bit weakly. "Shinzui-san came with me from the Music Hall, because she thought I wouldn't be able to make it here on my own."  
At this point, Haruka noticed the sleek formal gowns that both Shinzui and Michiru were wearing, and realization dawned. "She's the pianist, isn't she? She's the one you've been spending so much time with this week." Her eyes darkened. Michiru had missed her races because she'd been spending time with that girl. Michiru knew that Haruka despised her, and yet she'd gone behind her back and met with Shinzui. "You lied to me, Michiru."  
"I never lied, Haruka."  
"You didn't tell me the truth. It's the same thing." Haruka faced the blind girl with an expression of contempt. "I want you to stay away from Michiru, you hear me?"  
Shinzui's face was sorrowful as she attempted to reply, but was distracted as the teal-haired girl suddenly swooned into her arms, and she released Centauri's harness to catch her with both hands. "Michiru!" Shinzui gasped. The violinist's skin felt cold and clammy.  
"Michiru!" Haruka exclaimed, reaching for her.  
"I knew she should have let me take her to the hospital," Shinzui said.  
Haruka glowered at her. They were interrupted, however, by a series of shrieks from the crowd nearby. The girls looked up to see a jaki leap from the stands out onto the track, carrying the body of a woman it had just drained. The creature dumped the woman onto the ground and began to head for another victim in the crowd. Haruka snarled. "Watch Michiru," she ordered, and took off running for the central pavilion where the trophies were being kept. She ran in one side, and a few moments later Sailor Uranus emerged from the other side, sprinting across the track towards the jaki.  
Shinzui shook her head. "She can't destroy that spirit on her own," she said to Centauri. "I have to do something."  
"It's all right, Shinzui. I'll keep an eye on Michiru for you," her guardian animal answered. "But you should transform." Shinzui nodded. They were virtually alone in the stands now, as the crowds were fleeing, and so she carefully set Michiru down in one of the stadium seats and then she and Centauri ducked behind one of the red ceremonial draperies hanging from the stands. Sailor Orion emerged from the heavy curtains, and took one more look at Michiru before taking off in the direction of Uranus and the jaki. Centauri returned to Michiru's side to watch over her.  
"World Shaking!" Uranus sent her attack towards the monster, who dodged it easily, jingling as he went. He sent a burst of black lightning from his mouth at the Magnifiscent Soldier, who also dodged.  
"Orion Mini-Sphere Detonation!" Uranus looked up as Sailor Orion's tiny grenade-like orb sailed over her head, landing neatly at the feet of the creature and exploding in a cacophony of light and sound. The evil spirit howled in pain as the cleansing, destructive effects of the Mini-Sphere caused its little misshapen body to melt away. The creature kicked its feet as it melted, and when it was gone and the black oily stuff had absorbed into the dirt of the racetrack, Sailor Orion could see the small golden bells left on the ground. Suddenly her silver eyes widened. "Michiru," she breathed, and spun around on her heel. "Michiru!!" Orion began to run back towards the unconcious girl on the other side of the track, with Sailor Uranus right behind her.  
But Uranus was faster than Orion, and got there first. She picked up Michiru's limp form and held her protectively, away from Sailor Orion. "You're not touching her," Uranus growled at the taller Senshi. "You've done enough already."  
Orion shook her head, still trying to catch her breath. "Uranus, listen to me. You've got to destroy that comb in Michiru's hair."  
"What are you talking about?"  
"The comb it wasn't a gift from the Princess, it was left for me by the jaki. I heard those bells ringing when it ran off."  
Sailor Uranus glared at her. "What are you babbling about?"  
"Now I know why the comb seemed so familiar to me." Sailor Orion shook her head. "I remember now. That comb belongs to Sailor Gemini, and it's sapping Michiru's energy. If you don't destroy it, right now, it will kill her."  
Uranus, for a moment, appeared uncertain as she looked down into her partner's pale face. Then her gray eyes narrowed and she looked up again at Orion. "I'm supposed to trust you? You sneak around with Michiru behind my back and now I'm supposed to trust you?"  
Orion sighed. "It was wrong of me to keep our rehearsals a secret, Uranus, and I'm sorry. I should have told you from the beginning, and I promise it will never happen again. But if you don't want Michiru to die, you're going to have to trust me. Please, Uranus. Don't punish her for my mistake."  
The Magnifiscent Soldier looked at Michiru's face again, and nodded curtly. "Fine." She removed the golden, shimmering comb from the aqua curls, and tossed to Sailor Orion. "Here you go."  
Orion wasted no time in throwing the comb onto the ground, and stomping on it with those impossibly high black heels. She kept pounding away at it until it had been ground into powder underfoot, and a strange golden mist rose from the destroyed jewels. This mist swept its way back to Michiru, where it entered the unconcious girl's mouth and was absorbed. A few moments later, Michiru stirred and opened her eyes, looking up into Uranus' face.  
"Uranus? What happened?"   
Sweeping up what was left of the comb, Sailor Orion extended a gloved hand so that Michiru could see it. "This was meant for me, not you, Michiru," she said quietly, her musical tones becoming low. "I should never have let you wear it in the first place. I'm sorry." Then she looked up at Uranus. "It would seem I've made nothing but mistakes here," she said, her voice so undescribably mournful that Uranus could not suppress a tiny twinge of pity. "I'm going to leave now, before I hurt anyone else." With that, she raised her bracelet, pressed the opal, and vanished.  
Sailor Uranus and Michiru watched her disappear. Then they met one another's eyes. After a very long moment, Uranus nodded.

Shinzui opened the door, but there was no one there. "Looks like somebody has delivered another mystery Christmas package," Centauri commented as he picked up the small, gaily wrapped box in his mouth gently to give to her. "Mmphffs safph ffmnnn nuffmm."  
Shinzui had to giggle as she shut the door and went to take a seat on the davenport. She took the gift from her pet's mouth. "You know, you really ought to learn not to speak with your mouth full, Centauri." The dog made a face at her, which of course she couldn't see. "Oh, there's a card and it's written in Braille!" She winked a vacant eye at Centauri. "Guess that means you won't have to read this one for me." She ran her fingers over the message.  
_ Dear Shinzui - Thank you for everything you've done to help me with the concert. Please don't feel badly about the comb; you   
couldn't have known it was dangerous, and after all it was you who convinced Haruka to let it be destroyed. You are a very  
_ _dear friend, and I hope you will enjoy this little present. Merry Christmas, Keioh Michiru. P. S. - I thought you might like to   
_ _know that this gift was actually Haruka's idea. She wishes you a merry Christmas too._  
Shinzui's soft gray eyes filled with tears as she ran her fingers over the postscript again. The tears actually spilled over as she opened the box, and found inside a small golden trophy with a motorcyclist on top. Centauri read the engraving out loud. "Tenou Haruka. First Place. Grand National Christmas Championships, Christmas Eve." The shiny gold of the trophy suddenly sparkled even more as Shinzui's tear fell onto it.  
"They may not know it, but Haruka and Michiru have just given me the very best Christmas present of all. Their acceptance." The blind girl rose to her feet and placed the trophy on her mantel, right next to the picture of her family. She smiled for a moment as she touched the little motorcycle on top, and then turned to her dog. "Merry Christmas, Centauri."  
"Merry Christmas, Shinzui."

[Back to Part Twelve][1]  
[On to Part Fourteen][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic12.htm
   [2]: fanfic14.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	14. The Guardians are revealed! The Search f...

Part Fourteen - The Guardians are revealed! The Search for the Silver Dagger

The shiny dark monument, in the center of the deserted snow-covered field, was vibrating once more. The gaping aperture that hung suspended above it seemed a little bigger than it had been before, the edges swelling and retracting slightly as if some unseen force behind it was pushing from the inside, trying to break through. The wind rushed through the grasses with a chilly force, causing small fog-like swirls above the pristine surface of the unbroken snow. But there was no snow on the monument itself; though the stone was several degrees colder than the frozen field. The unnatural silence that always accompanies a snowfall was even more chillingly noticeable in this unoccupied place; and when it was broken, the icy voice that resounded through the stillness was more frigid than the snow itself.  
"Why is it, do you suppose, that this one little girl proves to be such a problem? It's a simple mission, really find the Dagger, prevent the Sacred Sacrifice, and lead the Avatar's troops to victory over the Posiverse at last. This shouldn't be so difficult!"  
"Why, my dear admiral, are you giving up so soon?" Lady Slipper's sweetly mocking giggle echoed out into the silent white field.  
Lord Narcissus growled. "And why is it that you always seem to show up at the worst possible times? What do you want this time, Lady Slipper?"  
"Actually, Lord Narcissus, the Avatar sent me to you with a little gift and a message."  
"A gift? For me?"  
"That's right. Here you go." There was a very strange noise then, halfway between a shriek and a wail with a bit of a choking sound thrown in, as Lady Slipper offered the item to Lord Narcissus. The Negaverse lady giggled again at his reaction. "Why Narcissus, I never realized you could scream at that pitch. What's the matter, you don't like snakes?"   
"Get that thing away from me! Why would the Avatar send me that that creature? What am I supposed to do with it?" Lord Narcissus' voice was still remarkably high-pitched.  
Lady Slipper's smile could be heard in her tone as she replied innocently, "Why, my dear lord, this is one of Sailor Draco's dearest companions. The Avatar has grown tired of waiting for you to pick off the humans one by one. He wants the Silver Dagger, and he wants it in his hands today. So, he's decided to help you out a bit himself. This darling little fellow-" Narcissus groaned a bit at the reference to the snake, "is going to do most of your work for you. All you have to do is send a _jaki_ to the hospital in Tokyo."  
"The hospital?" Lord Narcissus asked. "I don't understand. What's this snake going to do?"  
"Bite people, of course, silly," Lady Slipper responded with a laugh. "He was bred by Sailor Draco, for a very specific function. This snake is not poisonous, at least not in the usual sense. The venom it carries is nothing more than a blood thinner with some anti-clotting agentsDraco uses these snakes on the enemies whom he wishes to kill slowly. When this snake bites a human, the human will begin to bleed and never stop bleeding. Unless they wish to die, the humans will have to flock to the hospital. You merely send a _jaki _to the hospital to observe, and as soon as a sign of the Dagger is spotted, the _jaki_ will attack and retrieve it. The Avatar gets the Dagger, the Sacred Sacrifice is ruined, your neck is saved, and everyone lives happily ever after. That is, of course, assuming that you do not mess this one up like you have in the past."  
There was a pause. "Fine, then," Lord Narcissus agreed. "With the Avatar himself stepping in, we'll get that Dagger yet!" There was another pause as the Negaverse admiral seemed to consider the reptile in Lady Slipper's hands. "Uh, I think I'll let you do the honors," he stated a bit uncertainly.   
There was another giggle from Lady Slipper, and then the small dark form of a snake slithered from the opening in space, down onto the frozen black monument. "There you are, little fellow," she said. "Go bite lots of those nasty little humans. And if you see any wearing sailor suits bite them twice!" The small snake was only about eight inches long, and the color of coal. It appeared relatively harmless, save for the disturbing gleam in its beady, emerald-colored eyes. The snake wriggled to the edge of the stone, and dropped to the ground, where he struck the snow. The white drifts on either side of him seemed to dissolve instantly, and as the snake slid forward, the snow continued to disappear. A few moments later the snake was out of sight, but there was a long, curving trail left behind, leading from the base of the monument towards the highway that ran into the city.  
"By the way, Lady Slipper You said you had a message for me from the Avatar," Lord Narcissus reminded her. "So what did he want you to tell me?"  
Lady Slipper's tones were no longer playful. "He says you had better not mess this one up."

"All right, Guardian Brother." The Sacred Child's voice reverberated delicately through the bluish mists that swirled around them. "I have considered what you asked when last we met. Perhaps it would be safe to tell the Sailor Senshi something of what our mission is. But we must remain as discrete as possible."  
"Are you certain of this, Child?" This came from Guardian Father, whose majestic tones were laced with concern. "Once the Senshi have been told a few things, they are sure to desire more."  
The Child nodded slowly. "Yes, Neophilus, I know this. The Moon Princess and Mercury, in particular, will have many questions which we will be unable to answer, for their own safety's sake. But many of the others are becoming restless, and if they are not told something soon, will begin to take matters into their own hands."  
Guardian Friend's whisper echoed against the hissing pipes. "I assume you are speaking of Uranus, Child."   
There was a gentle, mournful nod from the girl before them. "I'm afraid I am. Mars and Jupiter, too, are beginning to grow impatient, not knowing what it is they are fighting for. Sailor Pluto is doing her best to encourage their patience, but they are growing frustrated with her as well, as she will not tell them what is happening until I declare that it is time." The Child raised her eyes to the Guardians. "I have spoken with Pluto about this at length, and she agrees with you, Guardian Brother. She also feels that we should be able to reveal the basics of our quest without placing the Senshi in undue danger. And so" there was a sigh, "I think that the time has come to tell the Senshi about the Dagger and the Sacrifice. But we must not, under any circumstances, reveal to them the reasons for the Sacrifice or the history behind it. They are not ready to hear these things, and the Avatar would surely redouble his efforts to destroy them once he discovered that they knew."  
Guardian Brother nodded. "I can agree with that, Child. But what are we going to tell the Senshi when they ask us about these things? I don't want to lie to them."  
The Child nodded. "That is why I requested that you meet with me here first. We must decide precisely, down to the finest detail, what we will and will not tell the Senshi about the situation. We must have answers ready when they ask us for things that we cannot let them know yet."  
The golden-hooded figures before her nodded. "Well said, Child," Neophilus affirmed. "So let's start from the very beginning, shall we?"

"Why did Setsuna-san ask us to meet her here?" Usagi wondered as she gazed around the hospital emergency room with surprise. The stark white waiting room, noisy and full of anxious parents and coughing children, hardly seemed like the ideal place to hold a Scout meeting. Mamoru patted her hand encouragingly, and she smiled back at him.  
"And why did she want me to be here, I wonder?" Chibiusa added with a small frown. "I was supposed to have a piano lesson today."  
"Maybe Shinzui-san is coming to the meeting too," suggested Minako kindly to the small girl.  
Rei looked up as two new figures came through the emergency room's sliding glass doors. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" she called to them. "Over here!"  
The two older girls made their way over to the seven young people already sitting in one corner of the waiting room, and they took seats on the uncomfortable, scratchy upholstered benches. Mamoru tilted his head to the side as the girls greeted Haruka and Michiru. "So what's going on?" he wanted to know. "Why did Setsuna-san ask us to meet her here?"  
Michiru shook her lovely teal waves. "We don't know any more than you do," she answered. "Setsuna-san wouldn't tell us much. Except that this is very important, and it has something to do with Sailor Orion."  
Haruka grunted. "Maybe she's finally going to tell us whatever it is that Orion's been hiding," she muttered. "It's about time somebody tells us something about these evil creatures that keep popping up all over Tokyo."  
"Oh, good. You're all here." The girls looked up as the young woman approached them, her long forest green hair swinging gently down to her knees. Setsuna was wearing the same lavender suit she always wore, and her garnet-colored eyes brightened slightly as she caught sight of Chibiusa. "Hello, Small Lady."  
"Puu!" Chibiusa exclaimed happily, springing up to wrap her little arms around Setsuna's legs.  
Haruka rose to her feet. "All right, Setsuna-san. Tell us now. What's all this about Sailor Orion?"  
Setsuna smiled at the blond racer, and then at all the other girls. "Come with me," she said gently. "They're waiting for us."  
"They?" Ami began, but Setsuna was already heading down the hallway. The girls and Mamoru all got up and followed her quickly. Makoto tried to ask Setsuna another question about who they were going to see, but all she received in response was a smile. The green-haired young woman led them through a maze of corridors, past several other check-in counters and examination rooms and laboratories, and finally they reached a very simple, unadorned door at the very end of a long, narrow hallway. Setsuna knocked lightly on the door.  
"Come in." The voice was young, and smiling. Setsuna opened the door, and the group of girls filed into the room. Usagi had to stop short in amazement when she stepped through the door, and clung to Mamoru a bit uncertainly.  
"What is this place?" She knew without a doubt that it couldn't possibly be part of Tenth Secondary General Hospital. It was too musty. But musty in an ancient, revered sort of way. And as Usagi turned to look at her friends, she gasped. Each one of them was now wearing the white and gold gown of the princesses of the Silver Millennium, and their Senshi symbols were imprinted clearly on their foreheads. Usagi reached one hand to her own forehead, and realized then that she was also wearing her Moon Princess gown, the sheer gossamer swirling about her bare feet. She turned to Mamoru and her breath caught, for he was now arrayed in the black and silver armor of the Prince of Earth, and his long black cape flashed red here and there underneath as he moved.   
"Endymion," she breathed softly. He looked down at her, and his eyes widened.   
"Princess Serenity?" He turned to gaze at the remarkable transformations of the other Senshi. "And all the other Planet Princesses what's going on?"  
Pluto turned to him, her garnet eyes reflecting the gold sparks from the circles on her gown's bodice. She smiled. "Don't be alarmed, Prince Endymion. You will soon see."  
The room they were standing in was enormous, with walls of a sort of pale bluish-lavender stone, and many arched doorways on either side, that seemed to lead out to a sort of promenade, which circled the inner room. The sky was open beyond the promenade, and Serenity could see stars glittering like little jewels pasted into the blackness. There were massive bookshelves lining every wall, and they extended so far above them that Serenity couldn't even make out the top of them she couldn't see the ceiling either, for that matter. It all just seemed to go up and up and up forever until it vanished in the darkness. These bookshelves were all completely filled with books; thick, leatherbound ones that had titles that Serenity couldn't even read because they were written in a myriad of foreign languages. The Princess of Mercury reached out to pull one of these off the shelf in front of her, and she examined it.  
"It's written in Latin," she declared with astonishment, opening the front cover. "_The Biomedicinal Properties of the Natural World._"  
"One of my personal favorites." Mercury looked up with surprise at this new voice, and for the first time all the Senshi realized that there were three figures, all in golden cloaks, who stood at the far end of the room. In front of these three there was a large round stone table, upon which lay another Book. This one was open, and its pages were glowing with a soft, swirling golden light that illuminated the entire room. The figure in the center appeared to be rather short, but as he stepped around the table and approached Mercury the Senshi realized that he was at least six feet tall only a couple inches shorter than Prince Endymion himself. There was a deep sapphire-colored brooch at his throat. This figure reached out to take the book from Mercury's princess, and seemed to look it over for a moment before handing it back to here. "Here. Why don't you keep it? I've already read it two hundred and thirty-seven times."  
Mercury stared at him in amazement, though she could not see his face because it was shrouded in the shadows of his cloak. She did not know what to say. Another of the golden robed figures stepped forward then, the one who bore a ruby colored brooch. He cleared his throat. "I must apologize for Guardian Brother's lack of propriety." His voice sounded like thunder, it was so authoritative and majestic, and the Senshi all stared at him now in awe. "We have not introduced ourselves."  
"Perhaps we ought to change our appearances a bit, friends." This came from the figure who had remained behind the table; he was wearing an amethyst brooch. His voice was so quiet that Usagi wondered how it was possible for them to all hear him so clearly; he sounded like he was whispering and yet the sound filled the entire room.   
The first figure nodded in response. "Yes. I believe the Sailor Soldiers will be more comfortable if we are able to speak face to face." For a moment it appeared to the Senshi that the golden robes had come alive around the figures; they swirled and then faded, and a moment later there were three white-haired, jewel-eyed young men standing before them. At least, they appeared young. Serenity was not so sure. There was something about them that seemed familiar to her, like she ought to recognize them but she just couldn't remember where she'd met them before.   
"Hey, I know you!" The Neo-Moon Princess called out to the man with the ruby eyes, the one who had such a deep voice. "I see you every week when I visit Hotaru-chan."  
"That is correct, Small Lady." The ruby-eyed man bowed to her slightly. "I am Guardian Father, called Neophilus."  
The young man next to Mercury smiled, and also made a small bow to the company. "I am Guardian Brother, called Demetrius."  
"And I am Guardian Friend," whispered the man with amethyst eyes, "called Oberon." The three white-haired Guardians straightened.  
"We are the Guardians of the Balance," the one known as Neophilus told them. "And this is the Library of the Celestial Hall."  
The Princess of Uranus stepped forward, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I'm not impressed. Who are you people, and what do you want with us?"  
Neophilus smiled at her. "Still the same Uranus, aren't you?" he commented pleasantly. "Don't be alarmed, Princess Uranus. You are here to learn the things you wished to know. Please, all of you, come and sit with us." He indicated the red velvet chairs that were set around the table. The Planet Princesses and Endymion all took seats around the table, with both Serenity and Small Lady holding tight to Endymion. When they were all seated, Demetrius also joined them at the table, and Neophilus began to speak.   
"You wish to know what the _jaki _are, and why they are attacking your people." The Senshi nodded. "The answer to that question is a very long story, much of which cannot be revealed at this time. But we will do our best to explain to you what is happening." Neophilus stretched his hand over the Book, and suddenly the images on the pages began to swirl. The Senshi watched in amazement as pictures began to form. "This is the Book of Balance. In this book is contained the complete record of history, since the dawn of time. Oberon is the keeper of the Book." Princess Serenity leaned forward. She could just make out the image of a golden-robed figure, bending over a Book, writing steadily. "There came a point, shortly after the dawn of time, when the Negaverse was isolated away from this universe. The Negaforce had become too powerful and was intend upon destroying all positive energy in existence. This could not be allowed, and so, with the help of the Book of Balance, we Guardians were able to seal the Negaforce into its own dimension, so to speak." The images on the pages swirled again, so that the Senshi could see the three robed figures, now standing on what appeared to be a roof of some sort. Two were holding a Book up above their heads, while the third was making some sort of sign with his hands. Suddenly, a dense blackness came charging towards them, straight for the glowing Book. The darkness entered the Book with such force that the two Guardians holding it were knocked down. Something glittering and bright seemed to fall from the pages, and the third Guardian, who was wearing a ruby brooch, quickly picked it up and shouted. An intense bright light burst from the glittering object, and Serenity gasped.  
"That's the Imperium Silver Crystal!" she exclaimed, still watching as the light from the Crystal enveloped the Book and the two fallen Guardians, creating a seal. She could see the darkness beyond the seal, struggling now to free itself, but it was too late for that.  
"Yes, Princess. The Silver Crystal and the Book were able to seal the Negaforce into its own separate universe, where it could no longer attack the positive energy. And so the negative universe became known as the Negaverse, and the positive universe is now called the Posiverse. With the seal in place, we Guardians were able to protect the balance of power between the negative and positive energies." Neophilus shook his head. "But I'm afraid that it did not last. The king of the Negaverse, who calls himself the Avatar, and his son, the Prince of Darkness, were able to construct a Gate between the two universes. They called it the Doomsday Gate, and once it was completed the Negaforce would once again escape from the Negaverse to attack the Posiforce." Princess Neptune's eyes widened as she recognized the new images the Book was displaying for them.   
"Uranus, look that's the monument that we saw, when the _jaki_ first appeared. Remember?"   
"That black monument, Neptune, is the Altar of Tears. And it was constructed by all of the Sailor Senshi in order to close the Doomsday Gate." Guardian Father took a deep breath. "And that brings us to the matter of the Sacred Child."  
"The who?" Princess Jupiter questioned.  
Demetrius rose to his feet. "I think I'd better explain this part," he said to Neophilus. The big man nodded, and took a seat at the table. Guardian Brother turned to gaze down at the book, and his sapphire eyes were very sad. "We were desperate to find some way of closing the Doomsday Gate before it could fully be opened. The armies of the Negaforce that had managed to slip through the Gate already had begun to attack various parts of the Posiverse, and the even the Sailor Senshi were overwhelmed by the sheer brute force that the Negaverse had amassed during its isolation. The Doomsday Gate was being built on Earth, because it was the only place in the Posiverse that would allow for a complete breach in the seal placed between the universes. On the vernal equinox, when the moon lies at precisely the right angle to the earth, the power of the seal is at its weakest, and the Gate could be completely opened. The seal would be broken, and the full power of the Negaverse would be set free to wreak havoc upon the Posiverse yet again." The Neo-Moon Princess shuddered and cuddled close to her future father as the Book showed them the possibilities of what the Gate would bring. Endymion put his arm around her, and then put the other around Serenity as she, too, turned her face away from the images of destruction. Even Guardian Brother seemed to have a difficult time watching this, for he hurried on. "It was finally determined that there was only one way to seal the Doomsday Gate before it was fully opened, and that was a sacrifice."  
"A sacrifice?" Princess Venus repeated. "What kind of sacrifice?"  
"The hardest kind. One of the Sailor Soldiers would have to give up their lives in order to seal the Gate, because only a soul, the essence of humanity itself, would have the power to create a seal that was strong enough." Demetrius sighed. "But it couldn't be just any soul. It had to belong to someone who had power over the Realm of Soul itself, whose purity and strength could not be tarnished by the Negaverse pushing against it. It had to be the soul of someone who had the innocence of a child, to whom purity was sacred. It had to be a Sacred Child." The pages of the Book glowed brightly before them as they were presented with a vision of a girl, dressed all in white, with flowing white hair. She wore a golden belt clasped with some sort of round gem, and there was a small knife in her hands. But the image was too fuzzy to determine her facial features. "The Sacred Child bears more than just the responsibility of the Sacrifice, however. You see, because she is a Senshi, she is reborn every thousand years, just like the rest of you. And each time she is awakened to her identity as a Senshi, her true soul leaves the Gate to reenter her. Because of this, the Sacred Sacrifice must be made again, before the next vernal equinox, in order to prevent the Doomsday Gate from opening. Every single lifetime, this is the cycle that she must endure. Born so that she may die." Guardian Brother's voice broke mournfully at this, and Serenity felt very sorry for him. She stared down intently at the image in the Book, also feeling great pity for the girl in the picture.  
"Look, this is a nice story and everything," Uranus declared, rising to her feet impatiently. "But you still haven't told us where Sailor Orion fits into all of this."  
"I was getting to that," Demetrius responded gently. Then he turned to the archway behind him, that faced the promenade, and he called out softly. "Child?"  
A girl stepped into view. Her hair was pale silver, as pale as the moon, and flowed down to the center of her back. It was parted in the center, with the two front sections plaited into two tiny shimmering braids. The gown she wore had off-the-shoulder sleeves that puffed out and then tapered to her small wrists, trailing long veil-like white material behind them. The golden chain that belted the simple gown was clasped with a peach-colored opal that glimmered and swirled in the light of the Book, and the long, simple skirt fell from her hips in layers and layers of gossamer whiteness. The girl's eyes were brilliantly silver, glistening softly in the pale light. On her forehead, imprinted clearly, was another Senshi symbol that looked like a triangle topped with a curving line, like an archer's bow; it was glowing with a peach-colored light. Uranus' jaw dropped.  
"Oh, my lord" Mars whispered.  
The Sacred Child approached Serenity, seeming to float rather than walk. She dropped to one knee. "My Princess," she said quietly, the familiar tinkling of her melodical voice filling the room.   
Serenity stared at her. "Orion?"   
The Child looked up at Serenity with a smile. "Now you know why they call me the Sacrificial Soldier," she stated, her bell-like voice sounding very fragile in this large place. "And this is the reason that I am here. This is the reason that we are fighting the _jaki._"  
Princess Serenity could not find the words to reply, she was so stunned. But it was the future Moon Princess who spoke the question that almost everyone was thinking. "Does this mean you're gonna die, Shinzui-san?"   
The Child rose and turned to the pink-haired princess. "Yes, Small Lady. I will die. And I will be born again, just as all of you are."  
Jupiter shook her head. "I still don't understand," she declared. "Does this mean that the _jaki_ are here because they're trying to kill you early or something? I mean, why are they drinking people's blood if they're after you?"  
The Sacred Child sighed. "To answer that, I must explain the Sacrifice to you." Guardian Brother stood and offered her his seat, which she accepted with a sweet, melancholy smile. Then she turned back to the Senshi. "In order for the Sacred Sacrifice to be effective, there are three things that have to be done precisely right. The first is that the Sacrifice must take place on the Altar of Tears, which is directly beneath the Doomsday Gate. If it were to be performed anywhere else, my soul would have to travel too far and I would not have the strength to seal the Gate. The second requirement," and here she cast her eyes up towards Demetrius, who was standing behind her, "is that the actual blow must be delivered by the one being with the most power over the Soul the Guardian of that aspect of existence. This means that it is Guardian Brother's responsibility to perform the Sacrifice. And then there is the third requirement. The Silver Dagger." The Child indicated the Book before them, and the pages swirled around to show them an image of a small silver knife with an ornately wrought handle and a small ruby embedded into its base. "The Silver Dagger was created at the very first Sacrifice; it is the only weapon that can be used to perform the Sacrifice without permanently damaging my soul. It enables my soul to be separated from my body without losing any of the strength that normally would accompany death; and only with my full strength am I able to reseal the Doomsday Gate, for the influence of the Negaforce is very powerful and not easy to hold back. The Silver Dagger is what the _jaki_ are after."  
"You mean, you don't have it?" Princess Venus inquired incredulously of the Guardians. They shook their heads. "Why on earth not? If it's that important, I wouldn't let it out of my sight for a minute!"  
The Sacred Child smiled, and her silvery eyes glittered sweetly. "It's not quite that easy, Venus. You see, the Dagger is not just a physical sort of weapon. It also possesses a great amount of life and death energy. When the Sacrifice is performed, that energy is transferred into me, and the Dagger gets reabsorbed, so to speak, into the Posiforce. When I am awakened as Sailor Orion, and the Gate is unsealed again, it is my task as well as the task of the Guardians to locate the Silver Dagger before the vernal equinox, so that the Sacrifice can be performed. The Negaverse also searches for the Dagger, in the hopes that they can prevent the Sacrifice and thus be freed to attack the Posiverse again, full force."  
Princess Mercury's eyes lit up. "Wait a minute I think I understand. The _jaki_ have been drinking human blood. That means that the Silver Dagger has been reintroduced into our world in someone's bloodstream, right?"  
"Astute as always, Mercury," the Child nodded. "Yes, we believe that the Dagger has been infused into the blood of someone here in Tokyo."  
At this point, Uranus had heard enough. "All right then, so now we know," she declared, rising to her feet. "And it's not our problem anymore."  
"What do you mean, it's not our problem?" the princess of Mars demanded. "The Negaverse is threatening the earth. That makes it our problem."  
Uranus shook her head, and her short sandy locks bounced into her eyes. "It's not our responsibility," she stated flatly, jerking a thumb towards the Sacred Child and her Guardians. "Let them handle it." The princess of Uranus turned and stalked towards the door through which they had entered, which from this side appeared to be an enormous stone archway. Neptune and Pluto rose to follow her, and Serenity watched them go, her mouth hanging open in a small pink O of astonishment.  
"Wait Uranus!" Serenity called, but Guardian Friend put a hand on her arm.   
"Let them go, Princess. I'm surprised she didn't leave earlier." This was the first time that he had spoken since he'd introduced himself at the beginning of their meeting, and Serenity turned to face him in surprise.  
"What do you mean?" she inquired curiously.   
Oberon just shook his head, but it was Demetrius who responded to her question. "Just that Uranus has never cared much for Sailor Orion." Serenity saw Oberon shoot the shorter Guardian a warning glance, and she frowned.  
"Why not?"  
Neophilus cleared his throat. "I'm afraid that we can't go into that at the moment, Princess. There is still much involved here that we have not told you, for the time is not yet right and the danger is too great."  
Mercury tilted her head to the side and changed the subject. "Why you?" she asked of the Sacred Child, who turned to look at her in puzzlement. "I mean, why does it have to be you who must always make the Sacrifice? Couldn't one of the other Senshi do it?"  
The Child shook her head. "This is another question that I must not answer, Mercury. I'm afraid that there are some things that must remain a mystery for now. It is simply not safe for you to know these things." She sighed. "I only hope that what we have told you will not place you all in undue danger."

The creature watched the incoming patients with greedy eyes, and it licked its swollen lips. It was hungry, but Lord Narcissus had said not to move until some sign of the Dagger had shown up. The evil spirit hissed in frustration. It had been waiting almost two hours, watching the flood of bleeding patients coming through the doors as Sailor Draco's little pet did his job. There must have been hundreds of them but still no sign of the Dagger. The _jaki _was quickly becoming impatient as its stomach growled. It was cold here, in the little storage closet that the creature had chosen for its hiding place, and it was seriously beginning to consider ignoring its master's wishes and going after some human juice right then and there.  
There was a television set in the waiting room of the emergency clinic, and the _jaki_ could hear the news reporters warning the citizens of Tokyo: "People all over the city are flooding the hospitals after having been bitten by what witnesses have described as a small black snake. Doctors have assured us that these bites are not poisonous, however the bleeding caused by these wounds must be treated immediately or there is the danger of death. If you have been bitten, please wrap your wound as well as you can and seek medical attention right away. If you see a snake matching this description , do not attempt to apprehend it yourself. Call pest control immediately. Authorities are uncertain as to how many of these snakes there are, but they do tell us that they are doing everything in their power to bring the situation under control as soon as possible." The monster had to hiss with amusement at this. It knew full well that the 'authorities' would never catch the Negaverse reptile, for they could not find him if he did not wish to be found. The evil spirit looked at the doors of the emergency room, where the lines of people waiting to receive attention extended far out into the snowy streets, and it was amazed that one tiny little snake could effect that many people in the space of a few hours.  
Just then, however, a shadow fell across the crack of the closet door, and the _jaki_ shrank back a bit for fear of being spotted. It could hear a young female human's voice, only inches away from the door, and it stepped forward a bit more bravely in order to get a better look. It was a female human, who apparently was pursuing a male human as he strode down the hallway. The _jaki_ knew enough about human behavior to recognize that the male seemed upset about something. Then it heard the female speaking.  
"Haruka!" Michiru reached out to take her partner's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. But the tomboyish blond shrugged her hand off.  
"Let's just go home, Michiru. I've had enough of this for one day."  
"You can't just walk away from this, Haruka." This was Setsuna's calm, timeless voice, and Haruka's eyes narrowed as she looked up at the garnet-eyed woman approaching them.  
"Watch me," she snapped back, her deep tones dangerously soft. The sense of revulsion that she always felt in Orion's presence was still thick around her, and she was finding it difficult to contain her fury. Two days ago, Haruka had begun to hope that perhaps these feelings would dissipate, for she had actually been rather pleased when she came up with the idea of sending Shinzui her trophy from the Christmas races. But the moment that Orion, or rather, the Sacred Child, had stepped into the room, her malevolence had returned just as powerfully as ever. Her emotions of disgust and hatred were completely out of control, and she had to get out of this hospital and away from Sailor Orion before she hurt someone or something.  
Setsuna shook her head. "I know that this is very difficult for you. But it is our duty to protect this world. You know that. You can't turn your back on your duty after all this time, regardless of what personal feelings you may have."  
"It's not our responsibility," Haruka growled, clenching her fists to keep them by her side. "She brought the danger here she should be the one to take care of it."  
Michiru stared at her in shock. "Haruka, I've never heard you talk like this before. You're the one who's always saying how important it is to fulfill our mission, regardless of friendship, hate, or anything else. But it seems like you're letting your feelings about Shinzui affect your determination."  
"That's not true!!" Haruka exploded, pounding her fist on the wall so hard that the rough wood left scratches on the side of her hand, which immediately welled up in little scarlet lines along the broken skin. Michiru's eyes widened as she suddenly realized how hard Haruka was struggling to maintain control of her anger. Her partner only hit things when she was trying to keep herself from hitting other people. "If that mincing Little-Miss-Perfect is that anxious to die, I'm not going to argue with her but I'm not going to waste my energy helping her, either. She wants to save this world from destruction? Fine. She can do it without my help."  
The scent of the fresh blood on the young male's hand was maddening to the _jaki_, still crouched in the closet. It could not bear it any longer it was so hungry with a hiss, the monster burst from the closet and latched itself onto Haruka's arm. The long white fangs sunk themselves deep into the hard, muscled flesh of her shoulder, and the racer grunted with surprise and pain.  
Michiru cried out as the dark spirit suddenly seemed to appear from nowhere, attacking her partner with a vengeance. She felt Setsuna's hand on her shoulder. "Transform, quickly," the older woman ordered. "I'll go get the others." Michiru nodded as Setsuna spun around and disappeared down the hallway, and the teal-haired girl quickly ducked into the storage closet from which the _jaki_ had just emerged.  
Haruka had been caught off guard by the _jaki_'s attack, but she smiled grimly to herself as she regained her footing, and she wrenched one arm around, throwing her entire weight against the creature, smashing the both of them up against the wall. She could vaguely hear the terrified screams of the other patients in the waiting room, but she didn't pay any attention. The _jaki_ hissed its displeasure at being crushed against the wall, and its jaw loosened a bit. This was all Haruka needed. She brought one hard, knuckled fist up and landed a blow to the creature's head, forcing the fangs out of her shoulder. But she held tight to the monster from behind, remembering that the _jaki _would try to attack her with that black energy-spit stuff that they always did. Just as she managed to get a decent grip, however, she heard Sailor Neptune call out her attack.   
"Deep Submerge!"  
Haruka was forced to release the monster and dodge out of the way just before the attack reached them in order to avoid being caught in the deluge. The evil spirit was knocked backwards a few steps, but as usual there was not much of an effect upon it. Apparently it decided that a Sailor Soldier was a more attractive target then, because it ignored Haruka and proceeded to send a bolt of crackling negative energy towards Neptune.   
"Hey, ugly, I'm not finished with you yet," Haruka muttered, and in spite of her wounded shoulder, she landed a flying kick to the dark creature's backside. It felt really good to be able to take some of her frustration out on the _jaki_, who deserved it anyway. The evil spirit spun around, eyes glowing yellow and rolling around in its head.   
"What do you think you're doing?!" Neptune demanded breathlessly as she recovered from the dodge she'd had to make in order to avoid being struck by the black power. "You're not transformed, Haruka you'll get yourself killed!"   
Haruka flashed her another grim smile. "Just working off a little extra energy, Neptune," she grinned, and then rolled to the side as another burst of dark energy sizzled past her. Swinging her leg up, Haruka delivered a quick, hard kick to the creature's leg, and was rewarded with the sound of cracking bone and a howl of pain from the _jaki_. "Well, what do you know. They're not unbreakable," she commented brightly.   
The _jaki_ was furious now, and it opened its mouth to blast Haruka again. Sailor Neptune raised her arms to attack it once more, but she was interrupted.  
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"  
"Burning Mandala!"  
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"  
The three attacks from the Soldiers of Lightning, Fire and Soul seemed to combine into one enormous pink flaming bolt of electricity that struck the _jaki _full force. The evil spirit was stunned for a brief moment, but it did not seem amused in the least as Sailors Jupiter, Mars and ChibiMoon appeared, running down the hallway. They were immediately followed by Sailors Venus, Mercury and Pluto, as well as Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon. And right next to Sailor Moon was Sailor Orion.  
"Attacking people in a hospital! You ought to be ashamed of yourself," Sailor Moon declared angrily as she glared at the Negaverse creature. "I will not forgive you for causing pain to people who came here for relief. I am an agent of love and justice, a pretty Sailor Soldier, Sailor Moon. And in the name of the moon, I will punish you!"  
The _jaki_, overwhelmed by the small army of Senshi it now faced, turned and limped on its wounded leg for the door in an attempt to escape. But Haruka and Sailor Neptune blocked its way.   
"Going somewhere?" Haruka inquired of the spirit with a snide grin. The _jaki _hissed angrily and turned to look for another exit, but it was surrounded by Sailor Soldiers now. Sailor Moon looked over at Sailor Orion.  
"Why don't you take this one?" she suggested, and Orion nodded.   
Stepping forward and summoning her Sphere, the Sacrificial Soldier raised one fist and sang. "Heavenly Symphony!" The familiar beautiful melody burst from the Music Sphere, filling the room. As it played, the evil spirit screeched with frustration. Its negative energy nullified, the _jaki_ slowly melted until there was nothing left of it but a sticky, greasy puddle of black liquid on the hospital's tile floor. After a moment, the puddle had been absorbed away into the floor as though it had never been there at all. The melody of Orion was not finished there, however. It reached out and enveloped the bleeding patients who were lined up outside waiting for their turns; and as the evil influence of the Negaverse snake was irradicated, the people found their wounds healing of their own accord. Not only did the purifying effects of the music stop the bleeding, it actually closed up the injuries so that they disappeared completely. Even the fangmarks on Haruka's shoulder soon healed. But Sailor Orion's expression was concerned as she turned to survey the television screen in the corner of the waiting room, where the newscaster was still delivering reports about the mysterious snakebites.  
"This isn't over, yet," she said grimly. "Sailor Jupiter, we're going to need your help."  
Jupiter frowned. "What do you mean?"  
"That snake she's talking about," Orion responded, jerking her thumb towards the television, "is not unknown to me. I'm certain that it belongs to Sailor Draco."  
"Sailor Draco?" Mercury questioned. "Who are all of these other Sailor Senshi you keep mentioning, Orion?"  
Sailor Orion shook her head, and her pale hair whispered softly about her ears. "This is another thing that I cannot explain to you," she answered quietly. "For now, you simply must trust me when I tell you that Sailor Draco is a very dangerous person. He possesses power over the Realm of Lightning, just as you do, Sailor Jupiter." She turned to face the green-clad Senshi. "The snake is one of Sailor Draco's pets, and it will be lured by your powers because they are similar to Draco's. The moment that you see it, you must destroy it only an attack from the Realm of Lightning can destroy something forged from that Realm."  
Sailor Jupiter lowered her eyebrows. "What do I have to do?" she asked.  
"Nothing," Sailor Orion said firmly. "You just used your power a moment ago, which means that the snake is probably already on its way here to find you. Just keep a sharp lookout when it appears, for if you do not destroy it quickly it will have the opportunity to bite more innocent people."  
Sailor Moon looked up as Haruka was heading for the door. "Haruka-san! Wait!" she called out, running over to the taller girl and looking up into her face with concern. "Where are you going?"   
"Home, where I belong," Haruka answered brusquely. "If you people want to hang out here and wait for some evil reptile to show up, go ahead. But count me out." She spun on her heel and left.  
Sailor Moon stared after her with surprise and sorrow. "Haruka-san" she mumbled softly as she watched the blond racer stride away.   
Sailor Pluto put a hand on Neptune's shoulder, as the Elegant Soldier's eyes followed her partner out the door. "Go on, Neptune," she said kindly. "We can handle the snake ourselves. I think Haruka needs you more than we do at the moment." Sailor Neptune turned to Pluto and gave her a grateful smile, and then followed Haruka out the door. She did not bother to detransform, since they had a rather large audience of newly-healed patients at the moment.  
This audience, as a matter of fact, was quite enthralled with the fact that they had been treated to a visit by the famous Sailor Soldiers, and as they found themselves no longer bleeding or in any danger from the _jaki_, they became very excited. As Sailor Neptune exited the emergency room, the chattering rose to almost a deafening roar and the crowds surged forward, everyone trying to get the chance to meet one of the Senshi or shake their hands. For a moment, all of the Sailor Scouts were completely lost in the confusion that is, until the thunderous clamoring of their fans was silenced by an earsplitting whistle. Even Tuxedo Mask had to cover his ears, the whistle was so loud. And it immediately got everyone's attention. All eyes turned to Sailor Orion, who had managed to maneuver herself out of the crowd and was now perched upon the medical records counter, her peach-colored bows streaming behind her.  
"People of Tokyo, listen to me, please." Her bell-like voice, delicate though it was, carried nicely through the hush in the room. "The Sailor Senshi still have yet another job to perform. The snake that all of you were attacked by must be destroyed, and until it is, you still in danger. Please know that your thanks and well-wishes are certainly appreciated, but at this time it is very important that each of you return to your homes immediately, so that this snake will not have the opportunity to harm any of you again."  
There was disappointed murmurings throughout the crowd, but the people began to disperse. None of them wanted to face that little black snake again.There were a few who lingered for as long as they dared, but when they saw that everyone else was gone, they too departed. Even the hospital staff decided that it might perhaps be better for them to relocate to another part of facilities until the Sailor Senshi had ensured the destruction of the snake.  
"Let's just hope that no one calls the media while we're waiting," Sailor Mercury worried. "That's all we need trying to destroy a Negaverse creature with cameras flashing in our faces."  
"Oh, it wouldn't be that bad," Sailor Mars responded, stars beginning to float in her eyes. "Maybe they'd want to interview us and make us all idols! We could go on tours, and make movies, and record albumswhen we weren't fighting evil, that is," she added quickly, seeing Sailor Pluto's frown.  
Venus nodded though, agreeing with Mars. "Hey, I think it would be really cool if they put us on TV. I mean, how many times have we saved the earth from complete annihilation? And we've never gotten credit for it. It might be nice to show everybody in Tokyo how hard we work to keep them all safe."  
Jupiter shook her head. "Well I for one don't want to be a Senshi twenty-four hours a day. I mean, I want to have friends who like me for being Makoto, not because I'm a Sailor Scout. Even if I can't live a normal life all the time, it's better than not getting to have one at all."   
"Mercury! Look out!" Sailor Orion shouted a warning to the blue Senshi as suddenly, from the air duct over her head, a thin black shape began to extend itself downwards. Mercury looked up to see the snake as it dove for her, and she quickly moved to the side and away from it. All the other Sailor Senshi took a step back as well, and the small dark snake landed on the floor in front of them, its little black tongue flickering in and out. Orion, still perched on the counter, now leapt to the floor, purposely bringing her heels down hard in order to cause vibrations that would attract the creature. Sure enough, the little snake turned his head towards her, and began to wriggle in her direction. Orion looked over at Jupiter. "Sailor Jupiter! Now!" she commanded. Jupiter nodded, and crossed her arms in front of her. Her lightning-rod tiara began to crackle as she gathered her powers.  
"Supreme Thunder!" she bellowed, releasing the electrical energy downward at the black snake. Sailor Orion paused for a split second, and then jumped back up onto the records counter just as the sparkling attack reached the spot where her feet had been. It enveloped the little dark reptile, sizzling all over his long, thin body, and making him glow very brightly for a moment. When the glow faded, so did the snake. It was gone.  
"That's it?" Sailor Jupiter inquired, almost sounding disappointed. "I thought it would be a little harder than that."  
Sailor Orion smiled grimly. "I'm afraid it wasn't as much of a challenge as you were hoping for, Jupiter," she stated. "But don't worry-- before this is finished, you're going to have more challenges than you know what to do with." The other Sailors looked at one another, and then back at Orion, whose expression was now very serious. Sailor Moon opened her mouth to ask a question, and then closed it again, knowing that Orion would probably not give her an answer. She had finally told them some of the information they'd wanted to know and for now, it would have to be enough.

[Back to Part Thirteen][1]  
[On to Part Fifteen][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic13.htm
   [2]: fanfic15.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	15. A Prayer to the Stars! The Death of Chib...

Part Fifteen: A Prayer to the Stars! The Death of ChibiMoon

"You must have a death wish!" Lady Slipper screeched when she saw what Lord Narcissus was up to now. "Do you have any idea what that thing is?"  
"Sure," Narcissus responded flippantly. "The Avatar called it a Soul Dissolver. This little baby is going to solve all our Sailor Senshi problems for the rest of eternity." He laughed darkly, and the edges of the expanding Gate swelled a bit from within.  
Lady Slipper was aghast. "You can't take that out there, Narcissus. You can't do that!"  
"Of course I can. The Avatar told me himself that this is one of the most legendary devices the Negaforce has ever created. One little blast and the Sailor Senshi aren't just dead, they're dissolved. They'll never be reborn, they'll never come back. Their souls are gone poof! forever and ever." There was more maniacal laughter. "Little Miss Orion and her precious soul will be nothing more than a memory. The Doomsday Gate can't be sealed if there aren't any souls to seal it with!"  
"You're crazy, Narcissus. You can't use that thing on Orion. You have no idea what you're dealing with here." Lady Slipper's tones were nearly hysterical. "I'm warning you if you take the Soul Dissolver out there, you're going to end up dead. Orion's just been playing with you so far, my dear Admiral. But the minute she sees that thing, playtime will be over. Trust me, you don't want to cause her to forget her sense of humor."  
Lord Narcissus snorted with derision. "This fine machine was invented by the Prince of Darkness himself before the betrayal. And you've heard the stories, Lady Slipper. The Avatar's son was the greatest Negaverse warrior in existence. If it hadn't been for that bratty little Posiverse Princess, he'd have lived to be the most powerful being in all the universe."  
"You don't know what you're talking about, Narcissus."  
"Don't I?"  
Lady Slipper growled at the admiral's insolence. "No, you don't. You weren't there."  
"Oh, and I suppose you were." There was a moment of pointed silence. Narcissus cleared his throat nervously. "I don't believe you."  
"I don't care if you believe it or not, dear Narcissus. I told you before, that I am older and more powerful than you can even begin to imagine. I was there when the Soul Dissolver was born. And I am telling you that if you take it out there, if you show it to Orion, you are going to get yourself killed!" She was shrieking again. "And it won't be just you. I guarantee you that the moment Orion sets eyes on that thing she isn't going to stop until she's killed you, me, every last one of the Sailor Constellations, and the Avatar himself."  
The Negaverse admiral scoffed at her. "That's ridiculous. You keep telling me how powerful you are, Lady Slipper, and you're afraid of this little Sailor brat? I'm disappointed in you."  
"You just don't get it," Lady Slipper snapped back. "I'm not afraid of Sailor Orion the way she is now. I'm afraid of what she's going to turn into when she sees that thing. You've underestimated her at every turn, Narcissus you really have no concept of what she's capable of. Don't do this. For your own good, Narcissus, put the Soul Dissolver back where you found it and forget the whole thing or else you're going to wish that you had."  
"I don't think so," Narcissus insisted. "Besides, the Avatar himself gave this to me, and told me how to use it. He wants me to take the Senshi down, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to start with the three who have the power to seal the Gate; and once they're gone I'll get the others."  
Lady Slipper gave a short, mocking laugh. "Oh, really? And which three would you be thinking of? Besides Orion, of course."  
"Sailor Moon and the little Moon brat. They're the only others who have the ability to create the seal."  
"I see." The Negaverse female's tones were calculating. "And precisely how do you propose getting to them without the other Senshi getting in the way? Surely you've seen the way they fight by now. They aren't going to allow you to get to Sailor Moon without going through them first."  
"Well, if they'd rather die before than after, that's fine with me," Narcissus answered, his voice haughty. "I'm going to kill them all anyway, so it doesn't really matter, now does it?"  
"You're a fool, Narcissus." The words dripped with scorn. "You're a fool, and you're going to die a fool's death. Just don't come whining back here when you discover the truth; I'm not going to help you anymore. You are on your own."  
There was a sort of rustling sound, and then silence as Lady Slipper left. The black monument, the Altar of Tears, began to tremble again as Lord Narcissus laughed. "I'm coming for you, Orion," he chuckled. "I'm coming for you, and this time you're going to die."

Chibiusa stared in amazement at Usagi's room. "What happened in here?" she demanded.  
Usagi grinned, quite pleased with herself. "Everybody's coming for a sleepover," she told her future daughter. "So I cleaned up a little."  
Chibiusa frowned, looking around her at the newly tidied room. She could actually see the floor. "Hey, I didn't know your carpet was white." Usagi scowled and threw a pillow at her, and the little girl giggled. "But hey, don't we usually do sleepovers over at Rei's?"   
"I know, but I wanted to try something a little different," Usagi answered, forgetting all about being upset with Chibiusa in her excitement. "Besides, Mom's been asking to meet Shinzui-san, since she's always in her aerobics class when you have your lessons."  
"Shinzui-san is coming?" Chibiusa repeated, her eyes getting big. "All right!"  
"Yeah, but we're going to be talking Scout business, so you're going to have to leave her alone."  
The pink ponytails bounced defiantly. "Hey, I'm a Senshi too, remember?"  
"You're still in training," Usagi reminded her self-importantly. "So you should leave the important stuff to us big people."  
Chibiusa made a face at her future mother and was about to deliver a retort, but the doorbell rang. Both girls jumped up and raced down the stairs.  
"_Minna_!" Usagi exclaimed happily as she got there first and threw open the door. Minako, Makoto and Rei, with Artemis riding on the blond's shoulder, were quickly ushered into the Tsukino's living room. "Hey, where's Ami-chan?"  
Makoto smiled. "She's on her way," she said, taking a seat on the couch and setting the large Tupperware container she was carrying onto the coffee table. "She said she'd stop by Shinzui-san's apartment and come with her. We agreed" the girls looked at one another, "that maybe we should keep an eye on Shinzui."  
Minako nodded, her bright red bow quivering enthusiastically. "Yeah," she tossed in. "The Negaverse and Lord Narcissus seem to be after her more than any of us, and she shouldn't be left alone too much."  
"I've felt a concentration of evil energy," added Rei, "and it's been getting stronger, and closer, all day today. It feels like something's about to happen, and I think we should all keep on our toes."  
Usagi wasn't paying much attention to this as she eyed Makoto's Tupperware. "Umm Mako-chan," she said in her sweetest voice, batting her eyes. "I just know you're going to share whatever delicious thing you brought with your prettiest, most beautiful friend in the world, now aren't you?"  
Makoto grinned at her and picked up the container. "Oh,of course I am, Usagi-chan," she answered, her voice equally sugary. She took the lid off, revealing a luscious chocolate cake. "Here, Minako-chan. Help yourself."  
Usagi's face contorted into a scowl. "Mako-chan," she grumbled, and the brunette turned towards her. Makoto had to smile at the petulant expression on her friend's face.  
"Oh, all right, Usagi-chan. You all may have some." As all the girls dove for the cake though, Makoto put the lid back on and waved a finger at them. "Ah-ah, girls. We're going to wait for Ami-chan and Shinzui-san. Otherwise, knowing you, there won't be any left for them." There was a chorus of disappointed moans, but they all sat back against the couches.   
Artemis rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject. "By the way, Usagi-chan, are Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna coming tonight?"  
Usagi shook her head. "Nope. Haruka-san said they had other stuff to do."  
"I just think she didn't want to be around Shinzui," Rei tossed in, brushing a strand of long dark hair behind her ears. "You've all noticed how weird she gets whenever Shinzui-san is around."  
"Yeah," Chibiusa chimed in. "She gets all tight lipped and stuff, like she's really mad or something, you know? It's kind of scary. I mean, Haruka-san can be pretty tough when she wants to be."  
The other girls nodded in agreement, but Usagi shook her head stubbornly. "Haruka wouldn't hurt us," she declared firmly. "She might get mad and stuff, but she wouldn't hurt us, and she wouldn't hurt Shinzui-san now that we're sure she's on our side. I just know she wouldn't." At that point, the doorbell rang again, and Chibiusa jumped up to go answer it.  
"Shinzui-san!" she cried excitedly as the blind girl smiled down at her. Chibiusa threw her little arms around one of Shinzui's legs, and used one hand to pet Centauri on the head. "Hi, Centauri."  
There was a light giggle. "And what about me, Chibiusa-chan?" Ami asked as she, too, stepped through the door. The pink-haired girl looked up with a grin.   
"Hi, Ami-chan," she said, giving the smaller girl a hug as well. "Come on in," Chibiusa suggested, closing the door behind them. "Mako-chan said we couldn't eat the cake 'til you got here."  
"That was very thoughtful of her," Shinzui smiled, following Ami and Chibiusa into the living room where the other girls were.  
"Hooray! They're here! Cake time," Usagi announced happily, and went to get the plates. Shinzui settled herself in one of the plush chairs in the corner, and continued to smile as the sounds of her happy friends filled the room.

"Hey, where are you?" The tones were low, rich, and rumbled deliciously in her ear. The teal-haired beauty was broken from her reverie, and she turned to face her partner with a sweet smile. Haruka was smiling back, one of those rare genuine smiles, not her usual sarcastic half-grin. The racer reached up to brush a stray curl from her friend's eyes. "So where did you go this time?" she inquired quietly.  
The lovely turquoise eyes were full of shadows as Michiru responded. "Something bad is going to happen tonight, Haruka," she said, looking down at the mirror in her hands. "The Mirror is full of darkness. I don't know what it means."  
Haruka shook her head. "Well, let Sailor Orion and the other Senshi take care of it, if they want to," she declared.  
"I can't believe you're still saying that."  
"Look, it's not our responsibility," the sandy-haired tomboy insisted.  
"Well, you may be able to just ignore it, but I can't. I'll go and help them alone, if I have to." Michiru's tones were very serious. "Haruka, I know that you're struggling with all of this. And normally, I'd trust your judgement. But after everything that's happened" Michiru sighed. "Don't you think your judgement has been somewhat impaired?"  
Haruka turned away with a look of disgust, but she couldn't think of anything to say. It was true that these black feelings towards Shinzui / Sailor Orion were getting to be a bit of a nuisance. And they weren't getting better they were getting worse. Haruka hadn't told Michiru that, but in the hospital (or Celestial Hall or wherever the heck they'd been) the moment that Shinzui had stepped into the room as the Sacred Child, it was almost all she could do to keep from rushing at her and performing the sacrifice right then and there with her own bare hands. Where did this overpowering hate come from? Haruka didn't understand it, and she was growing more and more frustrated with her own uncontrollable emotions. What was she going to do? A growl escaped her throat, and as Michiru's hand touched her shoulder, she slapped it away roughly. Michiru stared at her in surprise, and quickly withdrew her stinging hand. That was enough to bring Haruka to her senses, and her eyes widened as she looked at her partner. "I I'm sorry, Michiru," she said, shaking her head, trying to clear away the nasty little dark clouds floating through her brain. "I didn't mean to."  
Michiru nodded, but now her eyes were wary. "It's all right, Haruka. Maybe you ought to go rest for a while I think all of this pressure is getting to you." Haruka nodded, but her voice was now a bit uncertain.  
"All all right. I'm going to go lay down for a bit." She turned to head towards the bedroom, but then turned back. "I really am sorry, Michiru."  
The aqua-headed girl smiled back at her gently. "I know." She sighed as her friend went into the bedroom and shut the door. Things were degrading, and degrading fast. Michiru hoped that Orion would find that Dagger soon.

There was a very loud chorus of giggles as the girls collapsed in a heap on the floor. They were playing Twister, and even Shinzui, with a little guidance from Centauri, was able to join in. She landed on the bottom with the other girls on top of her, and laughed just as much as they did as they all tried to disentangle themselves.  
It had been a truly wonderful night for Shinzui, who was delighted to be in the presence of her Princess for so long. They'd had so much fun, playing games, eating cake, doing one another's hair Shinzui played the piano for them and taught them some new songs, and Usagi and Chibiusa had even managed to remain on friendly terms the entire evening. But as Rei fell on top of her and her hand brushed the priestess' shoulder, Shinzui sensed something a little disturbing.   
"Rei, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, quietly so that the others wouldn't hear.   
"All right," Rei answered curiously. "Umm we can go in the kitchen."   
Shinzui rose to her feet. "I'm going to go get a glass of water," she said to the other girls.   
Rei cleared her throat. "Uh, me too."  
"Oooh, bring me some," Usagi said from her odd, sprawled-out position on the Twister mat. The two girls nodded, and then retreated quickly into the kitchen.  
"Okay, what's up, Shinzui-san?" Rei wanted to know as she pulled three glasses from the cupboard.   
"I was going to ask you the same question. What's going on? You're worried about something."  
Rei stared at her for a moment. "How did you know that?" she wanted to know.  
Shinzui shrugged, and took one of the glasses over to the refrigerator to fill it with ice. "When I touched you, I could feel it. It's a sort of sixth sense, you could say kind of like the way you are extra sensitive to the presence of evil. When I'm in contact with the people I'm close to, particularly the Senshi, I can get a sense of these things." She brought the ice-filled glass back to the counter and picked up the other two empty ones. "So tell me what's bothering you."  
Rei sighed as she walked to the sink to fill the glass containing ice with water. "It's just that there's been a very strong evil that's been building up all day long and now it feels like every minute it's getting stronger and closer. I'm just worried that our party is going to be interrupted with Scout business."  
The blind girl nodded, and her face was concerned as she brought the two ice-filled glasses over to the sink and added the water herself. "All right, then. You keep close tabs on what's going on, and if it gets really intense, warn me. But let's not bother the Princess and the others with this for right now, until we're certain." Rei nodded back in agreement, and the two girls carried the glasses back into the living room where Makoto was involved in an arm-wrestling match with, of all people, Ami.  
Shinzui giggled when Centauri explained to her what was going on. "Oh, dear, Mako-chan, you're in for it now. Ami-chan always was very good at this."  
"I'm beginning to see that," Makoto grunted, as the surprising strength of the smaller girl was actually becoming something of a challenge. "Have you been working out Ami-chan?"  
Ami smiled up at her. "Not unless you call hours and hours of lifting and carrying all those heavy books in the library working out," she responded sweetly. After a few more minutes, though, Makoto's more powerful muscles won out, and Ami's hand was pressed to the table. The blue-haired girl tilted her head at her adversary. "Well done," she congratulated her.  
Makoto was shaking out her arm. "You too man, remind me not to make you mad!" she teased. "Who knew being a bookworm made a person so strong? Maybe I should study more." She considered this for a minute, then shook her head. "Nah."

About three blocks away from Usagi's house stood a small grocery store. The lights in the front window switched off, and there was a shuffle as the "OPEN" sign hanging on the door was flipped over to read "Sorry, we're closed." A melodical but somewhat off-key whistle was heard as the store owner came out and turned to lock the door. Putting the key in his pocket and patting it with a smile, the man turned and walked towards his car.  
Six pairs of eyes watched hungrily as the human opened the car door. "Human juice," three mouths hissed in unison; but the three-headed _jaki_ didn't dare attack. Its orders were clear find the Sailor Senshi and then give up its body to Lord Narcissus. The creature looked down at the long, sleek silver object in its hand. It looked like a huge gun of some sort, with fancy knobs and dials all over and a bulb containing some kind of red liquid at one end. It wondered what the admiral was going to do with this thing. But that was not its mission its mission was to find the Sailor Senshi and that was what it intended to do. The dark thing began to creep along the roof of the grocery store, and it grinned as it went. Three mouths opened, exposing double rows of sharp, pointed teeth.  
"Here, Senshi - Senshi - Senshi - Senshi," it hissed. "Come get _jaki. Jaki_ is waiting."

At the same time, Shinzui and Rei both froze. Rei put her hand on Shinzui's shoulder questioningly, and the blind girl nodded without turning towards her. Centauri looked up at his mistress with concern. "Is something wrong, Shinzui?" he asked.  
She rose to her feet, and her face was hard. "_Jaki_. And very close. I have to go."  
"I'm coming with you," Rei declared.  
The other girls looked up at them. "Hey, we're coming too," Minako protested as they all stood up. But Shinzui shook her head, even at Rei.   
"No. All of you should stay here. Finish your game. This won't take long." Shinzui knew that might not be true. The presence of this evil spirit was stronger than any she'd felt before; there might even be more than one of them. But she didn't want the Princess and the other Senshi to be placed in danger. Quickly she took Centauri's harness, and the two of them left the house.  
Rei scowled. "We can't let her do this alone," she declared firmly. "There's a really strong evil out there and I think we should face it with her."  
"Right!" Usagi exclaimed, jumping up. Then she looked around her. "But, uh, we might want to find some other place to transform If my parents or Shingo wakes up" The other girls immediately agreed with her. Leaving the board game on the coffee table, they all filed out of the house, one by one.

Michiru's head also snapped up from her mirror. The darkness swirling within its depths now had a definite shape, and she knew that something was happening. But as she looked across the table at Haruka, she hesitated for a moment. Finally she stood up, holding the mirror. "I'm sorry, Haruka, but I just can't let them do this alone," she said. "I'm going." Her partner scowled, but didn't even look up from her bowl of rice. Michiru sighed, and grabbed her coat from the hook on her way out the door.  
Haruka sat perfectly still for a moment. She used her chopsticks to bring another bite to her lips, but finally she set it down and rose to her feet. "Neptune can't fight alone," she grumbled as she went to get her own leather jacket from the coat closet. "We're partners. We fight together." Inwardly, she resolved to follow Michiru and keep an eye on her but she wouldn't interfere unless she really had no other choice. She was not going to give any help to that Orion.

Sailor Orion's tall black heels clicked with determination as she stalked towards the little storefront up ahead. That was where the _jaki _was; she could practically smell it. Orion paused as she reached the sidewalk. "All right, Negaverse scum, where are you?" she muttered under her breath. An evening breeze lifted her silvery pale hair from her shoulders, and that was when she felt her friends. She spun around to see the other six Senshi come running up behind her. Orion shook her head. "I thought I said you should stay behind," she chided them.  
But Sailor Moon frowned. "No way," she insisted. "This is our planet too, and we Sailors stick together."  
From the other direction came more running footsteps, as Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto joined them without a word. Sailor Orion shook her head as she gazed at all of her friends, but there was a smile on her face. "Come on, then," she said finally. "The _jaki_ is up there." She pointed towards the top of the grocery store. The Senshi took a step forward, and then it appeared ugly, black, shining, with three equally grotesque heads.  
"Pretty little thing, isn't it?" Sailor Neptune commented under her breath.  
"All right, ugly," Sailor Venus bellowed up at the creature. "Let's get this over with."  
Each of the three heads hissed at her, but the _jaki_ did not appear to be too terribly intimidated by the nine Sailor Senshi glaring at it from the parking lot. It had accomplished its mission, and now it was up to Lord Narcissus. Sure enough, it could feel its body beginning to morph as its master took over. The three heads became gelatinous, moving towards one another and then into one another, forming a new single head and broad shoulders. The hulking, apelike body straightened and stretched until it was standing erect, and dark purple trousers and a lavender cape whispered into view. A crop of wavy lavender hair appeared, and then the amethyst-encrusted eyepatch settled itself around the face, and Narcissus' entrance was complete.  
Orion cocked an eyebrow. "Little late for a social call, isn't it, my lord?"   
Narcissus performed a sweeping, mocking bow. "Ah, Miss Orion. As obnoxious as ever, I see."  
"What do you want, Narcissus?" This came from Sailor ChibiMoon, who quickly stepped up next to Sailor Orion. The smallest Sailor glared defiantly at the Negaverse admiral.  
Narcissus grinned down at the tiny pink Senshi. "Oh good, you're here. Well, that makes my job much easier, doesn't it?"  
"What are you talking about?" Sailor Moon demanded.  
The lavender-caped villian bowed again. "And the illustrious Sailor leader. My, my."  
"Get to the point, Narcissus," Sailor Jupiter barked harshly at him.  
"If you insist." Narcissus turned towards Orion. "I've come for your life, Miss Orion or more correctly, I've come for your soul."  
Sailor Orion snorted with amusement, and shook her head. "Haven't I already told you, Narcissus? I'm not that easy to kill."  
"Oh, I think it can be arranged," Narcissus responded, reaching down to pick up something at his feet. He brought the gunlike machine up to his waist, and showed it to the Senshi.  
Sailor Orion felt her mouth go dry as she stared at the Soul Dissolver. _Oh, dear God, help us._ She hadn't seen the Soul Dissolver for millennia; she'd assumed it had been destroyed. Her voice instantly froze. "Where did you get that, Narcissus?"  
Narcissus grinned at her. So, Lady Slipper was wrong. Sailor Orion wasn't going berserk after all. "Oh, just a little something the Avatar pulled out of his basement. What's wrong? You don't like it?"  
"Put it down." If Narcissus had known her better, he would have recognized the deadly venom in Orion's voice. But he was too pleased with himself to pay attention.  
"Now why would I want to do a thing like that?"  
"Because if you don't, I'm going to rip your arms off." Narcissus' eyes widened in surprise. Orion's voice hadn't changed; it was still cold as ice and threatening but there was something a bit different in the things she was saying. He realized that she'd never threatened him like that before, and he began to get just the teensiest bit nervous. But then he understood. Orion was afraid. She was really and truly afraid of this thing. And Narcissus grinned. He was the one with the power now.  
"Oh, are you? And what if I just shoot one of your little Sailor friends here? After all, the Soul Dissolver hasn't been used since the time of the wars I for one would like to see it in action."  
"If you touch that trigger, Narcissus, I will kill you. Slowly. I will hunt you down like the Negaverse scum that you are and I will remove your heart from your body and dissect it right in front of your eyes. The last thing you see will be the pieces of your own heart in my hands." The other Sailor Senshi were staring in shock at Sailor Orion, and Sailor Pluto frowned.  
"Orion, what's wrong? What is that thing?"  
"There's no time to explain, Pluto. All of you, get away from here. Now."  
"No way," Sailor Moon answered stubbornly. "We're not leaving you here alone."  
Sailor Orion turned towards her, and Sailor Moon's mouth dropped open at the frozen rage in the silvery eyes. "Leave, Princess. Now. Or I will kill you myself."  
"Oooh, I'd like to see that," Narcissus chuckled from atop the store roof. "Dear sweet little Orion murdering her precious Princess. But then, that would be better than letting me shoot her, wouldn't it?" He chuckled again. "Would you Sailor brats like me to explain to you what this thing is?" he offered with an evil glimmer in his lavender eye. "This," he brandished the gun-thing again, "is a little device called the Soul Dissolver. It was invented by the greatest warrior of the Negaforce ever to fight for our cause the Prince of Darkness himself. It was designed, specifically, for the death of the Sailor Senshi."  
Sailor Moon gaped at him. "What do you mean?"  
"I mean, Miss Moon, that the Soul Dissolver doesn't just take away life. It destroys the soul of the target. Once I've used it on you, you will disappear. Forever. You will never be reborn, you will never come back to bother the Negaverse again. You will be gone, and that precious little Silver Crystal of yours, too. So when Orion said she'd kill you herself, she was doing you a favor. The Soul Dissolver won't work on a dead body so at least you'd be reborn. However, I'm not going to give her that chance. You, and that little baby Senshi, and our dear Miss Orion I'm taking care of all three of you tonight. Say bye-bye to your precious little Sacred Sacrifice, Orion."  
"Hey, _baka_, I'm not a baby," Sailor ChibiMoon snapped at him. "Take this!" She brandished her little pink wand and ran forward. "Pink Sugar"  
"NO!!!!!!" Sailor Orion shrieked, chasing after her. But it was too late. Narcissus chuckled again, and raised the barrel of the Soul Dissolver.   
The next few minutes seemed to blur past in slow motion for Sailor Moon, who was riveted to the spot. She couldn't seem to move her feet, and she watched, trancelike, as a stream of red evil burst from the gun and shot towards Sailor ChibiMoon. Sailor Pluto also lunged forward, but she was much too far away to be of any help. Sailor Orion reached for ChibiMoon, but the red power from the Soul Dissolver had already reached the smallest Senshi. ChibiMoon cried out in pain the highest, most agonizing sound that Sailor Moon had ever heard. _That's my daughter I have to help her_ But Sailor Moon's feet would not obey her. She couldn't move. It felt like a dream. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury brushed past her towards ChibiMoon, but it was Orion who had caught her from behind, wrapping her arms around the tiny body. The force of the blast caused all the Senshi to be knocked backwards, skidding across the pavement, with Sailor Orion still clutching ChibiMoon. From out of nowhere, Sailor Uranus appeared behind Narcissus, knocking him to the ground and sending the Soul Dissolver spinning away across the roof of the store. Narcissus was stunned by the surprise attack, but was even more stunned by Uranus' fist landing squarely on his nose six times. She would have continued the physical punishment had all the Senshi not been distracted by the most terrible sound they'd ever heard.  
Orion was screaming. This was the sound they least expected from the stoic, sarcastic Sailor Soldier, but it was loud and clear, and absolutely heartbreaking. The Senshi looked up to see some sort of pink energy it looked like Sailor ChibiMoon herself, rising from the little soldier's body. This transluscent ChibiMoon floated above them for a minute, and then began to dissolve in the night air, turning into a billion tiny pink sparkles of light that flew into the sky and got lost among the stars.  
"NO!!!!!!" Sailor Orion screamed out again. "NO!!!!" She looked as if she was about to collapse over the little girl's body, but as the last of the sparkles faded away, Orion turned to look at Narcissus. If looks could kill, Narcissus would have been roasting in hell as she stared at him. "Narcissus," she said, and her voice was hoarse. "I don't have enough energy to kill you and save ChibiMoon as well. But I'm very tempted to try it anyway. I'm going to give you to the count of three to leave; and if you're still here by the time I reach two and a half I'm going to tear your head off." She rose to her feet. "One."  
Narcissus, whose vision was still blurry and whose head was aching from the impact of Uranus' fist, was not in any condition to fight Orion at the moment. He did his best to muster a defiant grin, and met Uranus' stony gray eyes hovering a few inches from his own. That sealed it.  
"Two."   
The Negaverse admiral's battered form shivered as it melted out of the body of the _jaki_. Nearby, the Soul Dissolver also shimmered and disappeared he wasn't about to leave that behind, not now that he knew what it was capable of. As the confused _jaki _attempted to regain its bearings, Sailor Uranus summoned her Space Sword Talisman, and with one stroke the purity of the blade penetrated the evil spirit, purging its power and reducing it to a puddle of black shiny oil beneath her. The oil dissolved away, into the slates of the roof, and now, for the first time, Sailor Moon was able to move.  
"CHIBIMOON!!!" she shrieked out, and flew to her future daughter's side. "ChibiMoon! Answer me!" Sailor Mercury also knelt down next to the tiny Sailor Senshi, and felt her wrist, then her neck for a pulse. She leaned her ear over the girl's mouth, but there was no breath. A tear trickled down the blue Senshi's face as she looked up at Sailor Moon.  
"I'm sorry, Usagi-chan She's dead."  
"No, she's not. She can't be. She's okay she's okay" Sailor Moon was babbling hysterically as she pulled the pink soldier's body into her arms. She began to rock back and forth. "Chibiusa is all right. Chibiusa is all right," she mumbled, over and over again as if the mantra would somehow fulfill itself.  
"Sailor Moon." The deep, rumbling voice could only belong to one person, and the man with the white mask knelt down next to her. Sailor Moon looked up to meet those beloved blue eyes, which at the moment were also filled with tears.   
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she sobbed, reaching one hand out to grip the edge of his cape. "ChibiMoon she's okay, right?"   
Tuxedo Kamen's eyes also spilled over as he looked down at the pale, lifeless face of his daughter. "She's not okay, Sailor Moon." He put an arm around the trembling Sailor leader. "I'm sorry I didn't get here in time" His voice broke and he couldn't say anything else. He just pulled Sailor Moon into his arms and for a moment, the two of them cried together.   
"No. No, I don't believe it. I don't," Sailor Moon repeated through her tears, over and over.   
Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars dropped to their knees, their faces streaming, and clung to one another. After a moment, Sailor Mercury joined them, putting her arms around her friends as their shoulders shook with grief. They just couldn't believe it either. One minute they were all together, and now ChibiMoon was gone. Dead, just like that. It didn't seem possible. Sailor Neptune had to turn away from the sceneshe couldn't bear to look anymore. And Sailor Pluto herself had a tear on her cheek as she turned to Sailor Orion.  
"Orion," she said softly, her timeless voice echoing in the evening air. "You said you might be able to save her. Is that true?"  
Orion regarded the dead child again with her own tear-filled eyes. "It is true. I'm not sure that it is going to work, but I have to try." She looked up at the dark sky, spangled with stars. "We're fortunate that Narcissus attacked us at night, for the stars would not hear me during the day and there would be no hope at all. But I must hurry, before her soul dissipates too far for me to recover it."  
Sailor Moon pulled herself from Tuxedo Kamen's shoulder to stare at Sailor Orion. "You mean, she might be okay?" she asked tremulously, her voice beginning to glow with a spark of hope.  
Orion met her eyes. "I don't know, Princess. It's never been done before. But I swear to you I will bring ChibiMoon back, or die trying." She turned to look up at Uranus, who was still standing on the grocery's roof. "Uranus, I need your sword."  
Sailor Uranus glared down at her. "No."  
Orion's eyes narrowed. "Listen to me, Uranus. You can hate me all you want to, but I am not going to let you sacrifice this child's life for your stubborness. Either you give me that sword, or I'm going to take it from you. We don't have time for this."  
"Give it to her, Uranus," Sailor Neptune urged. But Uranus' face was set.  
"You're going to have to do this without me, Orion," she insisted. "I don't want any part of it."  
"Do you want a part in the responsibility for ChibiMoon's death?" Sailor Orion snapped back at her in fury. "Do you want to live with the fact that your pride killed her?"  
"She's already dead!"  
"Uranus, please. PLEASE!!" Sailor Uranus turned to see Sailor Moon staring at her with enormous blue eyes, and her heart twisted at the girl's anguished plea. She might be able to refuse Orion, or even ChibiMoon but not Sailor Moon. She just couldn't do that. With a resigned nod, Uranus leapt from the roof and landed in front of Sailor Orion. She held out the sword.  
"I'm not doing this for you," she said coldly as Orion took the talisman from her.  
"I know. It doesn't mattter," Sailor Orion responded, drawing the sword from its jeweled sheath. The bright, magical blade glowed softly in the darkness. Orion looked at it for a moment, and then strode over to where ChibiMoon was lying, still clutched in her future parents' arms. Gently she took the girl from them and laid her out, flat on her back, on the pavement of the parking lot. She summoned her Music Sphere.  
"All right, everyone, you're going to want to stand back, and stay very quiet for this to work," she said. Then she stripped off the glove on her right hand, and did the same to ChibiMoon's limp little body. She took the bright blade of Uranus' sword, and in one smooth motion that was almost a caress, she drew the inside of her palm along the edge of it, hissing between her teeth as the metal parted the flesh of her hand. A long crimson line immediately swelled up there. Then she took ChibiMoon's hand, and ever so gently ran it along the blade as well. The blood that appeared was very dark, almost black for lack of oxygen.  
"What are you doing?" Sailor Moon wanted to know in horror, but Orion did not look up. The Sacrificial Soldier just shook her head as she laid the sword down next to her.   
"Her life force is not what's important now it's her soul that we need. My power, from the Realm of Soul, is Music, and Music expresses the soul itself. I'm going to give her enough of my energy to keep her body warm, for her soul will not return to a cold body." She took the child's bleeding hand in her own, and pressed the cuts together. She began to hum softly, and the Orion Music Sphere, hovering in the air next to her, also began to hum and to glow. The glow spread, enveloping both Sailor Orion and the lifeless Senshi on the ground. The warm glow surrounded the child, and slowly began to lift her from the pavement so that she was floating, supported by a bubble of warm energy.  
"Now, the hard part," Orion said to the onlookers. "Sailor ChibiMoon's soul was extricated from her body, and dissolved into the rest of the Posiforce. But souls diffuse through the Posiforce like perfume diffuses through a room and if I can reach all the tiny particles of her before they get out of earshot, and if I can convince them to return to us and form a soul again, it just might bring ChibiMoon back to us."  
Sailor Mercury nodded in understanding, though Sailor Venus looked very confused. "How are you going to do that?" she asked.  
Orion sighed. "With music. The most powerful transmitter for communication with the Posiforce itself is the stars You've heard that old rhyme 'Star Light, Star Bright, First Star I see tonight,' haven't you?" The Senshi nodded. "Well, that's actually a very ancient connection that allows communication with the Posiforce. Now people just use it for silly wishes, and so it doesn't work as well as it used to, but there was a time when it was one of the most powerful tools that the Posiverse possessed."  
"But if it doesn't work as well now, then"  
"How do I know it's going to work?" Sailor Mars nodded, and Orion shook her head sadly. "I don't. But it's our only chance. I'm going to pour all of my strength and power into the song, and hopefully the Posiforce will hear it and get our message to ChibiMoon."  
"Can we help?" Sailor Jupiter wanted to know.  
"Well, there's still the matter of convincing the particles of ChibiMoon's soul to return to us. If they are enjoying their new freedom and power in the Posiforce, they may be reluctant to come back. It would help if all of you were to think about her think about how much you love her and really feel those loving emotions. If her soul feels love, it will be more likely to return. Love is, after all, the glue that holds a soul together, so to speak." Orion took a deep breath. "Now, everyone, you have to be very quiet. The more intense and clear the song is, the better chance we have that the Posiforce will hear it."  
She looked down at the small body, suspended in midair in front of her, and she kept a tight grip on her hand, continuing to feed her own lifeforce into the inanimate child. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her strength. The other senshi didn't know how much strength this was really going to take she hadn't wanted to frighten them. But Orion knew that she probably would not come out of this alive. If she was going to make this work, it was going to take every ounce of energy she possessed, and then some. But she had to try. She took yet another deep breath, and then sang: "Heavenly Symphony!"  
The Sailor Senshi listened in amazement as a new melody, one they'd never heard before, began to play from the Music Sphere. And Orion began to sing, her sweet, melodical voice ringing out clearly in the quiet night air, seeming to soar up to the very stars themselves. Sailor Moon closed her eyes, and thought about Chibiusa. "Please come back. Please, please, please," she whispered.  
Sailor Orion closed her eyes, filling each note with her own energy. The Starlight Lullaby took on a life of its own, as it soared into the sky. It was not entirely a mournful or even a somber song, for Orion certainly did not want to depress ChibiMoon's spirit. It would never want to return if that were the case. So she added something of a brightness, a pleasant rhythm, and the beautiful words flew from her soul into the stars, carrying their message with every bit of power that she had.

_ "Sometimes the darkness will fill me with fear  
Sometimes I feel my worst nightmares are near  
The night is so cold and I cry all alone  
I cannot remember; I've lost my way home  
With blackness before me and blackness behind  
I turn to the heavens and there will I find _

_ "Star Light, Star Bright  
The only star I see  
I wish I may, I wish I might  
Have just one dream granted to me  
Star Light, Star Bright  
It's dark and I can't see  
I need your little shining light  
To bring life to the Child that's here with me."_

Halfway through the song, a trickle of blood appeared from Sailor Orion's nose. She was losing energy fast, and the music was becoming painful. _Good thing I like pain_, she thought to herself wryly as she continued to sing. Trying to keep ChibiMoon's body stable with her own lifeforce and pour her strength into the music as well was becoming too difficult, and so Orion released the little girl's hand. She'd just have to hope that the music would be enough to keep the body warm, because she had to conserve her strength.

_ "I don't fear the darkness, the nightmares, the night  
For all of these things cannot drown out the light  
Of the single sweet star that is guiding me home  
And my heart sings for joy; I'm no longer alone  
The glow from my star beams down brilliant and true  
Dear Child, don't you know that this bright star is you?"_

She was beginning to falter now, she could feel it. There had still been no sign that the Posiforce had even heard her, and her voice trembled a bit as she reached the last lines. _I can't do this. I'm not going to make it_, she thought to herself. Her energy was nearly gone. Just as she began the chorus for the second time, however, something finally happened. There was a pink sparkle in the air above the floating child. Orion's eyes widened it was working!! A few more sparkles then appeared, and Sailor Orion redoubled her efforts, throwing everything she had into the music. She ignored the blood from her nose that was now streaming down her face. She ignored it when her bottom lip cracked and began to bleed as well. That didn't matter now it was working it had to work.

_ "Star Light, Star Bright  
The only star I see  
I wish I may, I wish I might  
Have just one dream granted to me  
Star Light, Star Bright  
Please listen now to me  
And never stop your shining  
Sweet Child, you are so beautiful to me."_

As the last verse progressed, the air began to sparkle more and more. Suddenly there were thousands, millions even, of the tiny soul fragments glittering in the air. A form began to take shape a little girl, made up of translucent pink energy, hovering right above the lifeless body of the Sailor Soldier. _That's it, that's it_, Sailor Orion cheered inwardly as more and more of the child's soul returned to them; her shoulders, her chest, her arms, her legs the song was over but she wasn't quite fully formed yet, so Orion kept singing. Now Orion herself was leaning on the music. All of her power was gone, but if the particles were still listening to her she could at least help them get here. She had nothing left and so only the music itself was sustaining her she fed off of her own power just long enough to keep singing. "Oh, sweet Child, you are so beautiful to me."   
And it was done. The feet materialized in the last few moments, and ChibiMoon's soul began to drift downwards, melding back into her body. The glow from the Orion Music Sphere faded, and the tiny Sailor Senshi was lowered gently to the pavement once again. Sailor Orion had just enough time to witness the small chest heave, and the dark russet eyes fluttering open and then the music was gone, and so was she. Without a sound, the Sacrificial Soldier crumbled to the ground, and the world went black.

[Back to Part Fourteen][1]  
[On to Part Sixteen][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

Editor's Note: If you'd like to hear a sound clip of the Starlight Lullaby, there is one available in the Music Hall! 

   [1]: fanfic14.htm
   [2]: fanfic16.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	16. Pursuing the darkness! The Senshi in tur...

Part Sixteen: Pursuing the darkness! The Senshi in turmoil

"How is she, Doctor?"  
The young white-haired man shook his head, and took a seat next to Usagi in the waiting room. His sapphire eyes were very grave. "Not good, I'm afraid. Orion I mean, Shinzui was completely drained when we arrived. Neophilus was able to restore enough of her physical strength to keep her heart beating and her lungs functioning, but if he gives her any more at the moment it might kill her. I have been very slowly feeding Soul energy back to her, but that, too, has to be delivered very gradually like an IV might. Oberon is also doing his best to strengthen her mind, as it took a beating from the stress of trying to save ChibiMoon." Demetrius shook his head. "It was a foolhardy thing to do."  
Makoto's eyes widened. "How can you say that?" she demanded, putting an arm around Chibiusa's shoulders as the child looked up at them. "She saved Chibiusa's life. She saved her soul."  
Demetrius smiled wearily at the brunette. "I did not say it was not the right thing to do," he said gently. "But it was a terrible risk she took. Orion knew that the effort would kill her, and she did it anyway. It is only because we Guardians arrived almost immediately afterwards that she is not yet dead herself." He sighed. "And if Orion died, it would have to be you or your daughter who performed the Sacrifice to seal the Gate."  
Rei frowned as she listened to this. "But she didn't say anything about dying," the Shinto priestess protested.   
The Guardian shook his head again. "I'm not surprised. She probably didn't want to scare you she didn't want you to try and stop her."  
"Well, where is she now? Can we see her?" Ami wanted to know.   
"We took her back to the Celestial Hall. The general hospital does not have the right sort of resources for treating a Sailor Soldier, I'm afraid," Demetrius answered her. "But I don't think it's a good idea to let her have any visitors right now. She's still in a very dangerous condition."  
Michiru's eyes were filled with worry. "Do you think she still might die?"  
The white haired man turned towards her, and nodded slowly. "It's definitely still a possibility," he admitted. Seeing the stricken looks on their faces, however, he smiled encouragingly. "But we Guardians have much hope. Sailor Orion has always been the fastest healer we've ever encountered."  
Minako cocked her head to the side as she thought about that. "Well, she did get over that sprained ankle awful fast," she recalled, turning to the other girls in the waiting room. "Remember? Orion and Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon were trapped in that weird sphere-thingy, and she sprained her ankle. The next day she was barely even limping."  
"That's right," Setsuna affirmed with a nod. "I've seen Orion overcome some pretty major injuries before broken bones, punctured lungs, even smallpox, in just a few days. If anybody can heal after this, it will be her."  
"Well, the good news is that you, young lady," and here Demetrius presented Chibiusa with a small pink lollipop, "are right as rain. Aside from a couple little bruises, you're in perfect condition. Orion certainly did a thorough job." Chibiusa accepted the candy, but she didn't smile. She just stared at it for a moment and twirled it around in her fingers. "Come on now, cheer up, Small Lady," Demetrius said to her with a smile. "Orion will pull through this. We have to have faith in her. Besides, she'd be pretty disappointed to see you so unhappy after all the work she went to, bringing you back. Don't you think?" Chibiusa looked up at him, and his sapphire eyes twinkled so that she could not help a small smile. "There, that's better." The white-clad doctor rose to his feet. "I have to go see to several of my other patients now," he said to them. "But I'll keep you all informed as to Shinzui's condition." He turned and headed out of the ER.  
Chibiusa looked up at her future mother. "Usagi-chan, can we go home now?" she asked. "I'm really tired." Usagi didn't seem to hear her. She was looking down at her hand in her lap, playing with the fringe on her scarf, with a distant and dark expression on her face. Chibiusa tugged at her sweater. "Usagi-chan?"  
Usagi's eyes came back into focus as she turned to Chibiusa. "Oh, I'm sorry, Chibiusa-chan. What did you say?" With one hand she reached out to stroke the child's pink hair.  
Chibiusa frowned at her and ducked out of the way of her hand. "Hey, stop acting weird," she scolded. "You've been petting my hair and hugging me all day." She sighed, as Usagi's expression began to go blank again. "And you've been doing that all day, too," she told her quickly, taking her hand to distract her from lapsing into silence again. "Come on, I wanna go home."  
Usagi's face cleared and she stood up, but she turned to Rei instead. "Rei-chan, would you mind taking Chibiusa home for me? There's something I need to do."  
Rei normally would have scowled at her and muttered something about shirking responsibility but she was worried about Usagi. Her blond-ponytailed friend had been quiet and morose all day, and that was not like her at all. "Is everything all right, Usagi-chan?" she asked as she took Chibiusa's hand.   
"Hmmm? Oh. Yeah, Rei, it's fine. I just need to take care of something."  
A pair of cool gray eyes followed Usagi as she left, and their owner, leaning against the wall, straightened slowly. A hand tugged at her sleeve, and the eyes turned to look into Michiru's face. "We should go too, Haruka," the aqua-haired musician said to her.  
Haruka's face was impassive too calm. Michiru knew that there was something going on that her friend didn't want to talk about. She didn't push it, though; it was never wise to push Haruka if she wasn't ready to discuss things. Haruka looked at her friend with an inscrutable expression for a moment, and then nodded. As the two girls stepped towards the doors, Setsuna lightly touched Haruka's shoulder. The racer turned to look at her. For a moment it was as if Setsuna wanted to say something, but the blankness in Haruka's face changed her mind. The two regarded one another for a moment; the deep, timeless garnet eyes matched with the placid gray, and then Setsuna removed her hand and Michiru and Haruka left the building.  
"What was that all about?" Makoto wanted to know, coming up behind Setsuna.  
The green-haired woman sighed. "I wish I knew," she responded. "Haruka has always kept her problems to herself she's making some sort of plan. I can feel it. I just wish she'd tell the rest of us what it is."

"Be right there," came the friendly male voice as Usagi knocked on the apartment door. A moment later, the door opened. "Usako!" Mamoru exclaimed with a bit of surprise. Getting a good look at her face, he asked, "Is something wrong?"  
Usagi was numb inside. She knew what she had to do, and as much as she regretted it, she really had no choice in the matter. Looking into his beautiful, concerned face, she took a deep breath. "Can I come in, Mamoru?"  
Mamoru frowned slightly at her use of his full name. She almost never called him anything but Mamo-chan. He took a step back and let her into the apartment. "What is it, Usako? It's not Chibiusa, is it?"  
"Chibiusa is fine. Demetrius says she's perfectly healthy." Usagi made her way over to Mamoru's living room, taking a seat on his couch. "But I need to talk to you."  
"Oh all right." Mamoru reached down to clear some of his books and papers from the couch, and he sat next to her. He wasn't sure what to say; it seemed as if Usagi was trying to figure out how to start. He remained quiet, watching her pretty face as she gazed at the blinking screensaver on his open laptop that was resting on the table in front of them. After a long minute, Usagi finally spoke.  
"I think we should stop seeing each other, Mamoru."  
The young man's eyes widened in surprise. Of all the things for Usagi to say, that was least expected. "What What on earth are you talking about, Usako?"  
She didn't meet his eyes, just stared at the ball as it bounced around on the computer screen, changing colors. Blue, red, green, yellow, blue. Around and around. "I don't want to be with you anymore."  
"You don't you can't mean that. What's going on, Usako? Tell me." Mamoru put an arm around his petite girlfriend's shoulders. He knew all too well how emotional stress affected his beloved, and realized that she was probably still struggling with the near-loss of Chibiusa. "Look, yesterday was really hard on everyone, especially you. It scared me half to death too, you know that. But we can talk about it."   
Usagi shook her head. "Yesterday doesn't have anything to do with this," she denied hotly. "And I don't need to talk about it. I just need space. From you."  
The black-haired young man thought about this for a moment. "Okay, sure, Usako you know I'll give you anything you need, right? If you need space, space you shall receive." He tugged one of her ponytails playfully, but she didn't smile back. This was even more serious than he'd thought, if he couldn't even get a giggle out of her.  
"You don't understand, Mamoru." Usagi brushed his hand off of her shoulders. "I mean, I need space. Not just from our current relationship. I need space from destiny. I need options. I don't have options with you."  
Mamoru cocked an eyebrow. "You're not making sense, Usako."  
"I'm making perfect sense, you just don't want to hear it!" Usagi yelled at him suddenly, leaping up off the couch. "Don't you see that we're, like, practically handcuffed together by our mystical 'destiny of eternal love?' What if I want to create my own destiny? What if I want to try living life on my own, without a husband, future or otherwise? What all of this isn't real because it's just fate and nothing more? What if I don't really love you?"  
Mamoru drew back as if he'd been slapped, her last question hanging bitterly in the air between them. "You are you saying that you don't? Love me?"  
Usagi stared at him for a minute, two white spots appearing in her cheeks. "I I don't think" She was trembling, but he couldn't tell if it was from sadness or fear or fury or just frustration in trying to find the right words. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No. No, okay? I don't love you. I never did."  
Mamoru stared back at her, hardly daring to breathe. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A billion things ran through his mind all at once things he wanted to say, ways he wanted to plead with her not to do this to him, to them. He loved her. He'd always loved her. And inside, he knew that he always would. There was something so right, so perfect about the two of them together, that it had never even occurred to him to question it. Mamoru and Usagi. Endymion and Serenity. The Prince of the Earth united with the Princess of the Moon. What was more right than that? He wanted to tell her that he loved her. He wanted to tell her that he couldn't imagine a future without her; that his favorite time of the day was in the evening when they were together and that he spent every moment they were apart just waiting for the time when they would not be. He wanted to say how much he loved her smile, her laugh, her sweet idle chattering. How wonderful it felt when she was clinging to his arm, or cuddling her little head to his chest. How barely a minute went by in the day when he wasn't thinking about her. He wanted to share his dream of home and family with her what their wedding would look like, the house he wanted to buy for them and their children, the family he wanted to share with her. And more than anything else, he wanted her to know that he couldn't imagine sharing those things with anyone who wasn't her.   
He tried to think of something to say, something that would reassure her that she really did love him something that would reassure her that he loved her, without reservation. That it wasn't just destiny that he didn't care if she was Sailor Moon, or Princess Serenity, or any of that that even if tomorrow all of those things were gone, he would still want to be with her for the rest of his life. These were the things he was thinking, but what he finally said was, "Two years. You wait two years to tell me this."   
Usagi glared at him. "Well, I'm so sorry I wasted your precious time, Mamoru," she spat out at him with disgust. He felt like slapping his own forehead. What on earth would have made him say something so idiotic? With all the soothing, heartfelt things he'd thought of, why was that what came out of his mouth? Redness filled his face as he stumbled to recover himself, but Usagi shook her head and cut him off. "Look, I like you. You're fun to be with, and I took advantage of that. It was great while it lasted. But it's over, okay? I'm not in love with you. And I think, from now on, that it would be better if you just left me alone." Her tones were cruel now, biting and purposely hurtful.  
Mamoru gazed at her in shock and sheer devastation. "Is this some kind of are you trying to pay me back or something? Like for the time when I broke up with you because of my dreams? Or did I forget your birthday or our anniversary or what? I just don't get it, Usako. Why are you doing this?"  
"Of course you don't get it. You don't get anything. You never did understand me, you know. I am strong, Mamoru, all by myself. I don't need you to get through life." Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not some simpering little dolly on your arm for you to humor and baby."  
"I know that Usako, I never" He shook his head. Did she really feel that way? Had he truly treated her like that? He looked back over the events of their relationship, trying to identify something that might bear the truth of her words. It was true that there had been many times when they'd been out in public and he'd been embarassed by some of her childish, naïve behavior. But he'd never had that intention he'd never looked at her as a possession or as a child or as a boost to his ego. He'd only ever wanted to be with her, just because she was Usako. And if she felt this way, why was she bringing it up only now, with the sudden announcement that it was over between them? "Usako, I never wanted you to feel that way. Can we at least talk about it before you make up your mind for the both of us?"  
"There's no point in talking, Mamoru. My mind's already made up, and nothing you can say or do will change it. It's over. I'm moving on with my life." Usagi's voice was so sharp and bitter that it tore into Mamoru's heart. He looked into those eyes, those beautiful crystal blue eyes that were so cold and merciless, and suddenly he felt like crying himself. He stood up then, and reached for her hand, but she snatched it away and shook her head at him.   
"That's not fair, Usako. There are two of us in this relationship. How can you make that decision for both of us?"  
"I'm not making it for you, I'm making it for me. You can do whatever you want with your life, Mamoru. I don't care. But I don't want to be a part of it. It's really very selfish of you to just assume that you know what I want out of life. But I suppose," and here she became downright nasty, "that you have an excuse for your selfishness. I mean, if you'd grown up with your parents the way normal people do they would have taught you that life isn't always fair."  
Mamoru felt like the wind had been knocked out of him by the brutality of her words. How could she say that? She knew how much he regretted not having been raised by a real family. Usagi knew full well the pain that caused him, every day of his life. And he realized that she was being cruel on purpose that she was doing everything she could to hurt him. He couldn't believe that she would suddenly hate him that much; and it made him angry. More than that it made him furious.  
"Look, Mamoru, what we had was never really all that serious, was it? I mean, I know it wasn't for me. I wanted a cute boyfriend to do things with, and that's all you were. But I'm tired of it now. I'm tired of you. I just want you to stay away from me from now on, okay? I want to be left alone." Usagi stared at him coolly with those crystalline eyes.  
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Mamoru growled back at her, his rage growing with every syllable. "I don't want to associate with someone who uses people like this, Tsukino Usagi. You want to leave? The door's wide open, baby. And don't you ever come back here again. I never want to see your conniving, traitorous little face for the rest of my life, you understand? Get OUT!!!"  
Her face was white now, and her hands clenched into fists by her side. "With pleasure," she hissed at him in a shaking voice. She spun on her heel and marched out of his apartment, slamming the door behind her. Mamoru watched her go, and then sank back down onto the couch and put his head into his hands. _What have I done? Oh, dear lord, what have I done?_ For a moment the room was silent save for the gentle whirring of the computer; and then the young man began to sob.

Usagi stalked to the elevator, and rode it all the way to the bottom floor in stony silence. The entire bus ride home, she sat in the very back and stared at the tears in the faux leather upholstery in front of her, her expression as blank and numb as if her face was carved out of wood. She entered her front gate, went up the stairs, and went into the house practically without blinking.   
Chibiusa brushed right past her, yanking one of her ponytails mischievously as she tore down the hall. "Hey, _odango atama_, that's for leaving me at home alone all this time!" she giggled, and ran off; but when she reached the kitchen and she hadn't heard a word from Usagi or the pounding footsteps that indicated a pursuit, she turned around to see what her future mother was doing. Usagi hadn't even looked at her. She just kept on going, right up the stairs to her bedroom. Chibiusa stared after her with wide eyes. That was just not normal. After a moment, though, she shrugged and went into the kitchen. If Usagi wanted to act strange, that was fine. Maybe she'd just eat Usagi's snack today, instead of the other way around, and finally get a little payback. Chibiusa chuckled devilishly to herself as she pulled the last two pieces of pie from the refrigerator.  
For once, however, Usagi wasn't thinking about food. She opened her bedroom door and took a glance around to be sure that Luna wasn't there. Entering her room, she closed and then locked the door behind her, and moved over to her window where a few snowflakes were beginning to drift slowly down, signalling the beginning of yet another snowfall. Usagi reached up to make certain that the window was locked securely. Then she laid back on her bed, and stared at the ceiling and finally allowed the tears to come. The hot, salty drops rolled out of the corners of her eyes, backwards into her ears and hair, leaving cold wet trails on her temples. _I'm sorry, Mamo-chan. I'm so sorry but I had to do it. There was no other way._ The tears kept coming, silently, in big waves. Usagi rolled over onto her side, curling up into a fetal position and hugging her arms around her stomach. "I had to do it. I had to do it." She whispered this over and over to herself, although the chant didn't seem to really be making her feel any better. She closed her streaming eyes, causing another flood of tears across the bridge of her nose, and pictured for the billionth time the blinding burst of red energy, Chibiusa and Orion flying through the air, her daughter screaming and herself, the great Sailor Moon, the famous undefeatable heroine, nemesis to the Negaverse, future Queen of Tokyo, standing there with her feet cemented to the ground as her daughter was killed right before her eyes. "I didn't move. I didn't even move." _What kind of mother stands perfectly still while her child is murdered? Especially when she's got enough power to stop it. I could have stopped Narcissus the Silver Crystal could have stopped him and I didn't even move. ChibiMoon deserved better. She deserves better than me. _There was a large wet spot spreading on the bedspread. _Mamoru deserves better. I can't even protect our daughter How can I hope to protect the world she lives in? _Usagi didn't even have to think about making too much noise. this hurt too much to undignify the pain with dramatic wailing.   
She didn't know how long she lay there on the bed, shaking with grief and guilt. But the next thing she was aware of, someone was knocking on her door. She realized suddenly that the room had grown quite dark, and she rolled over to look at the clock by her bed. Its cheerful pink hands read 7:00. _Seven? I've been here four and a half hours?_ Quickly she sat up on the bed, trying to clear the thickness in her throat as her mother wiggled the locked door handle.  
"Usagi-chan? Honey, are you all right? Rei's on the phone and she sounds upset about something."  
"Yeah, Mom. I'm fine," Usagi replied, her voice still hoarse from crying.   
"Are you okay, sweetheart? You sound awful. I hope you aren't getting sick."  
"I'll be all right, Mom," Usagi lied, doing her best to make her voice sound cheerful. "I'm just not feeling well and I wanted to rest for a while. I didn't want anyone interrupting."  
Ikuko's tone was sympathetic. "All right, then, dear. I'll just tell Rei to try back again later. Would you like me to make you some soup or something?"  
"No, but thanks," Usagi responded, hoping that the sudden sob that escaped her at her mother's kindess would sound enough like a cough that Ikuko wouldn't become suspicious. _My mom is the best in the world. How can I be such an awful mother when I have such a great one? She'd be so ashamed of me, if she knew. _"I think I just need some sleep."   
"Okay, honey. Sweet dreams." Usagi listened as her mother's footsteps disappeared down the hall, and then she sprang from bed and went over to her mirror to inspect the damage. She knew Rei too well Rei was one of Mamoru's closest friends, and it was certain that Mamoru had called her to tell her what had happened between them. Rei wasn't going to drop this until she had some answers, and there was no way she would believe the "I'm sick" excuse. Usagi knew that she'd probably be receiving a visit from one very irate Shinto priestess in about twenty minutes, and she had to be ready for her.  
"I could have won an Academy Award back there with Mamoru," Usagi muttered to herself as she started to comb and re-ponytail her disheveled hair. "Now I guess I'll have to do an encore performance for Rei. It's a shame Minako couldn't be here to see this and she said I couldn't act." Thinking of Mamoru only brought tears to her eyes again, and inwardly she flinched as she remembered some of the "lines" she had delivered during that award-winning performance. _I must have hurt him so terribly but he never would have let me go if I hadn't done it. If I hadn't made him angry he would have talked me out of it, and I just can't let that happen. I can't marry Mamo-chan; it's not fair to him and it's not fair to Chibiusa. They deserve better than me. _Stubbornly, though, Usagi pushed those feelings away. Once again, she locked all of her emotions up into a little box inside, overpowering them with sheer force of will. She felt the familiar numb blanket spread through her; it was absolutely vital that she control her feelings if she was going to succeed with this. Putting the hairbrush down, Usagi splashed a little cold water onto her face to reduce the puffiness, and then she sat at her desk, pulled out her little vanity case, and mechanically began to apply makeup to the cold, wooden features in the mirror.

The wind and snow ripped at her jacket and her legs as the bike roared over the pavement. She hoped that her partner wouldn't be too terribly distressed when she found her note; but while she didn't want to ask Michiru to get involved with this, she also didn't want her to be worried sick about her sudden disappearance. Besides, Haruka knew full well that there was a very good chance she would not be coming back, and she didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.  
The racer growled, deep in her throat, as she considered what she was about to do. This was all her fault, anyway if she hadn't been so determined not to help Orion, the other Senshi, her friends, wouldn't have been put in such danger. ChibiMoon wouldn't have been killed. And despite her feelings of loathing for Sailor Orion, Haruka knew full well the value of a sacrifice, and she had to respect it whether she wanted to or not. Orion had been willing to die herself in order to bring ChibiMoon back to them, and that meant something to Haruka. As much as she would have liked to pin the blame for all of this on the Sacrificial Soldier, she knew that the Soul Dissolver wasn't Orion's fault. It was Narcissus'. And for that, the lavender-caped Negaverse admiral was going to die.  
The motorcycle's engines bellowed again as Haruka took a turn much faster than she was technically supposed to. She dropped one foot to the pavement briefly and pivoted the bike around it in a perfect arc, and then resumed her course without any hesitation. That evil instrument of destruction would be her first target, though. Haruka was not about to let Narcissus or any other member of the Negaverse for that matter use that thing on another Senshi. Because if it WAS used again, Haruka knew her powers were not strong enough to bring the victim back like Orion had done; and she doubted that Sailor Moon would know how to do it. That settled the matter in Haruka's mind the Soul Dissolver had to be destroyed. There was just no other option. And after that, she would settle the score with Narcissus.   
It wasn't like Orion was in any condition to finish the mess she'd started, anyway. Haruka still considered this whole thing to be Orion's responsibility, but she was not going to let her world and her friends be destroyed while the Sacred Child was on sick leave. Narcissus had pushed the wrong buttons with the confrontational racer when he pulled that trigger on a fellow Sailor Scout and now, if Haruka had her way, he was going to pay the price.  
She was crossing the bridge now, the long bridge leading out of Tokyo. She knew exactly where she had to go back to that field, that black monument thing that the Guardians had called the Altar of Tears. That was where the Gate was; and that was where she would find Narcissus, she was certain. Haruka wasn't sure how she was going to enter the gate; she hadn't thought that far ahead yet. But she was nothing if not resourceful, and was confident that if there was a way for Narcissus to get out of the Gate, then there was a way for her to get in. Haruka was going to find it.  
The pavement sped beneath the wheels of her bike with a nearly dizzying speed, and Haruka grinned to herself behind her helmet. If this did turn out to be her very last bike ride, she was certainly going to make the most of it. It was a straight shot now, down the highway to the deserted field, and so she wouldn't have to worry about any further turns ahead and the traffic was only going to get more and more sparse as she got farther from Tokyo, so Haruka knew that she could now speed up safely, without endangering anyone. She ground the accelerator as hard as she could, and the motorcycle began to go even faster. Haruka watched the speedometer out of the corner of her eye 80 100 120 when she'd pegged the speedometer of her racer, she grinned again and settled down to a steady cruising speed of a hundred and thirty miles per hour.  
She thought about Michiru, wondering what her friend would do when she found her note. She hoped her partner would do what she had told her to and stay put, and let her deal with this her own way. But she had the sneaking suspicion that Michiru would probably come after her. Haruka sighed. There was no question that she could use Michiru's help with this but then again Haruka knew that this was practically a kamikaze mission and she didn't want her partner to lose her life as well. Sailor Neptune would be of greater service to the other Senshi than she could be to Haruka on this mission, and so Haruka hoped that Michiru would do the smart thing and stay behind. A faraway look entered Haruka's face as she thought about her aqua-eyed partner. She was going to miss Michiru. A lot. But Haruka had to do what must be done, regardless of friendship, danger, love or anything else. Narcissus had to die. With that resolution echoing in her mind, Haruka hit the accelerator again. _Better to just get it over with._

"Michiru - I'm going to settle this, once and for all. Narcissus must be stopped before he kills another Sailor Soldier. Stay here and watch over Sailor Moon. I'll be back in a few days. Haruka. P.S. - If for some reason I don't come back, I wanted you to know that you're the most important person in my life. It's been an honor fighting by your side. Goodbye for now." Michiru read the piece of paper out loud, written in Haruka's bold, sprawling Japanese script. "Stay here," she repeated as she put the note down. "I think not." She brushed a teal curl from her eyes as she picked up the telephone and began to dial. "Stay here," she muttered again disgustedly as the phone rang on the other end. After a minute, someone picked up.   
"_Moshi._ This is Meiou Setsuna. May I help you?"  
"Setsuna-san, it's Michiru."  
"Hello, Michiru. Is something wrong?"  
"You could say that," Michiru sighed. "Haruka has gone after the Negaverse alone."  
"You're going after her." It was a statement, not a question, and Michiru had to smile. Setsuna knew the two of them so well.  
"Yes. Will you tell the others?"  
"You know that if I do that, Sailor Moon will want to follow you," Setsuna reminded her. "She's not exactly thrilled with the idea of allowing her Senshi to fight alone."  
"I know that, Setsuna-san. But if we don't tell her, she's going to worry her little head off about us, and if we come back from this she'll probably never forgive us for leaving her behind." Michiru lowered her voice. "And besides, I have a feeling that Uranus and I don't have enough power, even combined, to really face off with Narcissus. We might be able to make a decent dent in his defenses, though, and with that perhaps Sailor Moon's great power could punch through and destroy him once and for all."  
Michiru couldn't see Setsuna, but she could picture the older girl nodding. "I suggest you don't mention that to Uranus, however," Setsuna admonished warmly. "She wouldn't like the implication that she can't handle Narcissus alone."  
Michiru had to grin at that. "No, she wouldn't," she agreed. "Don't worry I can handle Haruka. But I need you to handle Sailor Moon. After what just happened to ChibiMoon and Sailor Orion, she's probably a little shaken up. She's going to need a lot of support if she's going to be able to lead this fight."  
"That's true," Setsuna acknowledged. "All right, Michiru, I'll take care of Sailor Moon and the others you go take care of Uranus. Try not to let her get herself killed, all right?"  
"I'll do my best," Michiru responded with a chuckle. "Goodbye, Setsuna-san."  
"Goodbye, Michiru. And good luck."  
Michiru returned the phone to its cradle, and opened the desk drawer where Haruka kept her extra sets of keys. Searching through the neatly labeled piles of motorcyle and car keys, and even the helicopter key, she finally found the extra one for the yellow convertible parked downstairs. Slipping the key into her purse, Michiru took her coat and left the apartment._ I suppose it's time to see if all that riding around with Haruka has taught me to drive like her. I just hope I get there in time and in one piece.._

Usagi heard Rei's footsteps marching down the hall before she even heard the knock.  
"Usagi, open up," Rei demanded, and Usagi could hear that infamous temper simmering behind her friend's words. "You've got one heck of a lot of explaining to do."  
Usagi was ready for this. She checked her smile in the mirror to make sure it looked genuine enough, and then opened the door. "Oh, hello, Rei-chan. Come on in." She did her best to make her voice sound tired and hoarse it wasn't very difficult. "I'm not feeling too well, I'm afraid. I think I'm coming down with something."  
"Don't you 'hello Rei-chan' me, Tsukino Usagi," the raven-haired girl in temple robes snapped as she brushed into the room. "I don't care if you've contracted Sumalian measles, you're going to tell me right now why it was that Mamoru called me in tears this afternoon. What did you do to him?"  
Usagi shrugged. "Look, Rei-chan, it really isn't any of your business, but if you must know, I don't want to date Mamoru anymore. I'm not in love with him. But I guess he took it pretty hard."  
Rei took a seat on Usagi's carpet, in front of the low table. "I don't believe you," she declared, her violet eyes penetrating. "I've never seen two people who were more right together."   
"That's just it," Usagi retorted, sitting down next to Rei. "Why is it than everyone just assumes that I want to spend the rest of my life with Mamoru? I'm an individual, Rei-chan. I'm not attached at the hip to anyone. I don't WANT to be attached to anyone. I want to be independent."  
Rei's eyes narrowed. "That's ridiculous, and you know it," she snapped at her friend. "You're just not a loner, Usagi. You'd never be able to survive as one. Look at the way you brought all of us together we're all so different, so set apart from the world around us. You showed Ami-chan that there is more to life than just books. You taught Makoto that she didn't have to intimidate others to get respect. You even helped Minako realize that being a Sailor Senshi can be fun and that it's worth the sacrifices she's made. And me well, you know I don't like to admit these things, but without you, Usagi-chan, I'd still be the weird little psychic, living in the shrine all alone like some sort of circus attraction. It was your love and friendship that brought us together, and you're not going to sit there and tell me that you want to be alone. I won't believe it."  
Usagi was quiet for a minute. "Rei, I'm not giving up my friends. I love all you guys. I always will. And it's not you that I need independence from."  
"What did Mamoru ever do to you, hmm? He's always given you plenty of space, so you can't honestly complain about that. You're the one who was always whining about how he never spends enough time with you."  
The blond girl swallowed. "It's hard to explain, Rei-chan. But it's not just the physical, tangible space and time that I need from him. It's the fact that I don't have a choice in the matter that destiny says we're supposed to be in love and get married and rule together and all that. Well, I'm sorry, but I don't want to live my whole life following some stupid mystical destiny thing. Destiny is not love, Rei. It's not." The lies were getting more and more difficult with every single word, but Usagi kept a tight clamp on her emotions. It was a reasonable story, one that couldn't be argued with, and she was going to stick to it.  
Rei stared at her in surprise. "Hold on just a second. Are you telling me that the only reason you were with Mamoru was because you thought you had to be?"  
"Yes." Her heart broke as she said that one little word, but she refused to cave in. She was doing this for Mamoru, she had to remember that. For Mamoru and for Chibiusa, both of whom deserved someone who wasn't such a coward.  
Rei continued to gaze at her petite friend. This wasn't right this couldn't be right. Usagi was the world's worst liar; if she'd never genuinely loved Mamoru there was no way she'd have been able to fake it for this long, Rei was certain. But that would mean that Usagi was lying to her right now, and if this was a lie, it was a darned good one, because Rei was having trouble finding any evidence of it in Usagi's face or manner. But she knew of one way for sure to find out. "Well," she finally said, suddenly taking on a slightly more crafty tone, "are you sure of that?"  
"Of course," came the answer.  
"Oh." Rei pretended to consider for a moment. "Well, if you really don't want him, Usagi-chan, would you mind if I sort of stepped in? You know, took a chance? Mamoru was starting to get interested in me before this whole manifest destiny thing came out, you know, and I was always just the teensiest bit jealous of you two. Since you don't want to be with him, surely you won't mind if I take a stab at it." _There. That ought to get the truth out of her._ If there was one thing that Rei knew Usagi hated, it was other girls going after Mamoru.  
Usagi stopped breathing for a moment. _I can't do this I can't give him up like this. I don't want Rei to have him! _But she closed her eyes, and the memory of the blinding red evil, Chibiusa's screaming, holding that tiny, cold, motionless body in her arms it all flashed before her again, and the pain of the memory gave her will the strength that she needed. He deserved better. She opened her eyes again and looked at Rei once more, thinking of her friend's fire, and passion. Rei wouldn't have just stood there while her daughter was killed. Rei would have moved, done something, thrown herself in the way. She would have fought back. Usagi realized that her friend would probably be a better wife, a better mother than she would ever be with her leadership abilites she'd probably even be a better queen, if it came to that. Chibiusa deserved a mother who would protect her. Mamoru deserved a wife who wouldn't burst into tears at the first sign of danger. And so Usagi plastered another smile that she didn't feel onto her face. "Oh, I guess so, Rei-chan. If you want to go after him, you don't have to ask my permission. Besides, the two of you would be cute together."  
The priestess' jaw dropped nearly to the floor. Usagi had barely even hestitated! This just couldn't be happening. "Are are you sure, Usagi-chan?" she managed to stammer.  
"Sure I'm sure." Usagi made her voice as cheerful as she could. "I'd be really happy for you, if it worked out. I mean, I kind of feel sorry for Mamoru, you know? All the trouble I've put him through and everything you're probably just the thing he needs."  
For once, Rei was completely at a loss for words.  
There was a knock at the door, breaking the silence. "Hey, Usagi-chan?" Chibiusa called. "How come your door's locked?"  
Usagi stood up and went to the door, unlocking it and letting the little girl in. "Oh, I'm sorry about that, Chibiusa-chan. Rei and I were just talking." Usagi smiled tenderly at the child, a lump forming in her throat as she thought again about how narrowly she had escaped losing her forever. "That's a really nice dress," she said, surveying Chibiusa's dainty little pink and blue jumper. "You look so pretty."  
Chibiusa's eyebrows lowered suspiciously. "You must be sick," she decided, staring at her future mother's face with curiosity. "Whatcha being so nice for?"  
"No reason." Usagi reached out to stroke one of the pink ponytails gently. "I'm allowed to be nice. You're my sister, remember?"  
Still eyeing her 'sister' with a bit of confusion, Chibiusa told her what she'd come in to say. "Well, anyway, I'm supposed to tell you that Setsuna-san is on the phone for you. She says it's really important."  
"All right." Usagi stepped out into the hallway, over to the little telephone on the desk. Rei and Chibiusa followed her to see what this was about. Usagi picked up the reciever. "Hello, Setsuna-san. You needed to speak with me?" There was a pause. "Okay, we can do that. But what do you want to call a Scout meeting for?" Another pause. "Uh-huh." Pause. Usagi's eyes suddenly got very large. "They did WHAT?!! All by themselves?" Rei and Chibiusa looked at one another, wondering what was going on that could have gotten Usagi so excited all of a sudden. "Of course we're going to have a meeting. Right this minute, we are. I'll call the others and we'll meet over at the shrine." There was another pause. "You bet we are. I'm not letting them do this alone. I'll talk to you when I see you. Okay. Bye." Usagi hung up the phone, and turned to the other two girls. "You're not going to believe this."

The pain was excrutiating. Shinzui couldn't even identify a part of her body that didn't feel like it was being beaten with a sledgehammer. Her head pounded. Her eyes felt like they were going to explode. Her lungs seemed to be full of needles that gleefully stabbed her every time she took a breath. _I'm not dead. Why am I not dead?_ She'd been dead enough times to know what it felt like, and this was not it. This was the kind of pain that came right before death. _Oh, marvelous. Now I'm dying in reverse. _She could hear something it sounded extremely loud and it hurt her own ears. It was the sound of her own body, still living. The sound of her breathing, the sound of her heartbeat. _Could you keep it down in there? _she said to her heart. _You sound like you're trying to break out of my chest. _She took another breath. More needles, so sharp and numerous this time that she could not help the small moan of pain that escaped her lips. _Well at least my voice still works. Sort of. I can make noise; that's a good sign, isn't it?_  
She heard voices. "Demetrius, she's waking." That was Oberon she recognized his whispered tones right away. But why did he sound like he was talking into a drainpipe? There were other voices now that she could hear, as the beating of her heart did indeed quiet itself as she had commanded.  
"Would you just let me see her? Please?" A male voice. Young, commanding. _The Prince._  
"I'm sorry, Prince Endymion. But she's not in any condition to have visitors. Every drop of energy she has right now is precious; she can't afford to spend it on guests." Guardian Father's voice, even more commanding and powerful.  
"I understand that, sir," Endymion responded with respect and something else. There was a note of something in his voice that Shinzui caught, and her inner sensitivities picked up on it right away. Something was very wrong. _Oh no. Not the Princess. Please, don't let it be the Princess._ Endymion was still talking. "I only want to see for myself that she's all right. I promise not to disturb her."  
"Too late." Shinzui stubbornly shoved the pain to the back of her mind, gripping it tightly with her will and forcing her burning, pulsing eyes to open. Of course, she didn't see anything without her Senshi power she wasn't able to overcome the blindness of her human form. But at least opening her eyes would be a signal to the Guardians that she was indeed awake.  
"Child!" This exclamation came from all three at once, and Shinzui had to smile at the surprise and relief she heard there. She felt someone take her hand, and knew at once that it was Guardian Brother.  
"Demetrius," she said, her voice sounding strained. "I want to speak to the Prince alone."  
"Oh, no, that's not a good idea," Demetrius protested. With his powers over the Soul he could feel for himself the pain she was enduring, and it almost took his breath away. "You should be resting, Child you're so weak"  
"How long have I been here?" Shinzui asked him quietly.  
"For two days, Child," Oberon answered her.  
"That's enough resting. I want to speak with the Prince now."  
Guardian Father placed a hand on her forehead. "You're not strong enough, Child," he declared kindly. "You must conserve your strength."  
Shinzui turned her head towards him and gave him a slight smile. "Guardian Father, either you let me talk to him or I'm going to get up off this bed right now and start running races around the room and that would really be bad for my energy levels. I promise I won't overexert myself."  
Demetrius gave a snort of amusement. "Well, it's nice to see that her stubborness is intact," he commented dryly, giving her hand a little squeeze. "All right, Child. We'll give you ten minutes, but that's all." Both he and Neophilus released her hands, and they and Guardian Friend moved to leave the room.   
"Ten minutes," Neophilus admonished firmly from the door. And then they were gone.  
Shinzui sighed, and then regretted it as another volley of sharp pains burned through her lungs. She raised one hand, wanting the prince to come to her. "Where are you, my friend?" she inquired softly. A moment later she felt the prince's hands encase her own, and she couldn't prevent the gasp as her mind was suddenly seized upon by feelings of deep, inexpressible sorrow.  
"Oh no, did I hurt you?" Endymion inquired with concern. She could hear his armor clanking as he withdrew his hands.  
"No," Shinzui responded. "But something has hurt you. What is it? It's not the Princess, is it? She's not" she couldn't even finish the sentence. If something had happened to Usagi while she was lying here incapacitated, Shinzui didn't know what she'd do. She'd never be able to live with herself.  
"Usagi is okay," he answered her, but his voice was so very sad. "At least, physically. But I don't know about her heart. I oh, Shinzui-san, I did something awful."  
Relieved that at least the Princess was safe for the moment, Shinzui nodded. At least, she would have nodded if her neck didn't feel like it was made out of iron. "What happened?"   
He was reluctant. "I don't want to burden you with my troubles, Shinzui-san, not when you're still so sick. I didn't come here to"  
"I know you didn't. But you're here now, and I want you to tell me."  
Endymion sighed. "All right, then." And he began to relate how Usagi had come to him, saying she wanted to end their relationship. His voice trembled as he told her the things Usagi had said about him, and then that last, truly hurtful comment about his parents. "And I lost it, Shinzui-san. I mean, I really let her have it. And I kicked her out of my apartment. She just walked away like she didn't care." Shinzui could hear the break in his voice. "I love her, Shinzui-san. More than anything in the universe. How could I do that to her? How am I ever going to fix this?"  
Shinzui reached out for his hand again. "How long have you known the Princess? I mean, in this lifetime? It's only been a couple of years for you, hasn't it?" She knew he was nodding even though she couldn't see it, and she smiled. "Let me tell you something. I've known her for millennia. I've seen her forgive murders, rapes, genocide things so horrible and ugly that you can't even begin to imagine. She'll forgive you."  
His voice was still despondent. "But what if she was telling the truth? What if she really doesn't love me if all the time it was just obligation for her? I can't live without her, Shinzui-san, I can't."  
"Once again, let me remind you that I have watched over the Princess for one thousand, four hundred and fifty-seven lifetimes. And never once, in any of those individual lives, did the two of you fail to fall in love. Love creates destiny, Mamoru. Not the other way around. The Princess loves you eternally, and will love you eternally for all time. Not because it is her destiny, but because you are her soul-mate." Shinzui felt Mamoru's head come down on her shoulder, and even though her bruised shoulder was aching with the added weight, she raised her hand and entwined her fingers in the jet black hair comfortingly as the young prince began to sob. She could sense the relief, and the hope in his tears. "Trust me on this one, Mamoru-kun," she said fondly, putting aside formality for the moment. "The Princess does love you. And if she is saying otherwise, it is a lie, and we simply must discover why she is telling it. She never does this sort of thing without a reason so we'll just have to dig until she tells us what it is. She can't hold out, denying her true feelings forever. She's not that strong. Believe me, when it comes to Princess Serenity, everything will work out right. You'll see."

[Back to Part Fifteen][1]  
[On to Part Seventeen][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic15.htm
   [2]: fanfic17.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	17. Senshi stand together! Into the Mouth of...

Part Seventeen: Senshi stand together! Into the Mouth of Evil

The grumbling engine silenced as the key was turned, and the rider used one foot on the kickstand in order to rest the bike in an upright position. Her gloved hands came up to her face as she pulled the heavy helmet from her head, all the while keeping her eyes fastened on the black altar before her. Haruka immediately noticed that the rupture in space was much bigger than it had been the last time she'd seen it; it was now almost as tall as she was. The racer hooked the strap of her helmet around one of the bike's handlebars, and started to pull the leather riding gloves from her fingers. She could feel her henshin pen pressing into her ribs beneath the biker's jacket she wore, and she smiled grimly to herself. Soon. Very soon. She stuffed the gloves inside the helmet, and swung one leg over the seat, standing to her feet. Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the eight-foot altar, and walked purposefully over to it, leaving deep footprints in the unbroken snow covering the field.   
Haruka ran a bare hand over the cold stone, unable to suppress an involuntary shiver at the bone-chilling, unnatural frigidity of it. The snow at her feet was warm in comparison, and she had to pull her fingers away as the freezing surface stung them bitterly. She let her eyes trail over the intricate carvings that decorated the Altar of Tears. Many of them she found too ancient and foreign for her to understand, but there were a few images and characters she recognized; the most noticeable being the small Orion symbol engraved into the very center, surrounded by a vine of some sort. The other Senshi symbols were there as well, encircling the Orion symbol. Haruka picked out the symbol of Uranus precisely at the bottom of the circle, facing Orion's. She frowned, feeling an absurd sort of resentment that her crest would be carved here as well. She didn't want to have anything to do with Orion especially since the Sacrificial Soldier had such a creepy effect on her. And it WAS creepy, the way she couldn't control her feelings. Haruka closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the way that she'd slapped Michiru's hand away from her when they were talking about Orion.  
Never, in the years that they had been partners, had Haruka ever raised her hand to Michiru. Even when they were just playing around and being silly, Haruka had always been extra cautious that she didn't hurt her friend, because her unusual strength was easy to forget about. She would never forgive herself for hurting Michiru, even if it was an accident. Michiru was no wimp herself, but her strength and agility were more like a willow, flexible and limber and durable, and Haruka's powerful strength resembled the cars she loved to drive; hard, fast and solid. If she wasn't careful, she could let her power get out of control and cause a lot of pain before she was even aware of it. And that was what was eating at her. For the very first time, she'd dropped her guard, and Michiru had been hurt. Not much, thank heaven, but it shouldn't have happened at all. These uncontrollable feelings of rage around Sailor Orion were beginning to infiltrate her personal life as well, and that was a very bad sign. If she'd lost control once, it could happen again and what if next time Michiru or Usagi or one of the others got much more badly injured? Haruka wouldn't be able to live with herself.  
She wondered if Michiru was all right. Haruka knew that her partner probably wasn't mad at her for what had happened, but she didn't understand the full implications of that simple little hand-slap. Michiru had no idea what it really meant; that it was a sign that Haruka was losing control. Haruka knew her friend was probably worried about her, and she didn't know what to do about it. She could hardly comfort her when she didn't even know herself what was wrong. Her eyes opened again, and they were burning a bit from the glare of the snow or from her own frustration she wasn't sure. But there was no use in puzzling over such things now. It was time for a little retribution.   
As Haruka scanned the altar for a way up, she was startled by the screech of tires behind her. She spun around, and to her surprise, her own yellow convertible was pulling to the side of the road next to her bike. She frowned as she recognized Michiru in the driver's seat, calmly unbuckling her seatbelt. As her partner stepped out of the car, Haruka crossed her arms, and lifted an eyebrow.   
"I believe I asked you to stay behind and guard the Princess," she reprimanded, her low tones full of reproach, though she wasn't exactly surprised. Michiru met her eyes without hesitation, and Haruka was taken off guard for a moment at the stony determination in her friend's face.  
"You're not doing this alone, Haruka. I won't allow it." The aqua-haired girl crossed the snowy expanse between them, until she was face to face with the tomboyish racer. She stared defiantly into Haruka's eyes. "We're partners, Haruka. I won't let you fight without me."  
Haruka sighed and ran a hand through her short sandy hair. She'd learned from experience that when Michiru was wearing that expression, there was no use arguing with her. Besides, in a way it was almost a relief to see her again. "All right," she agreed. "We'll fight together. Okay?"  
A slight smile curved Michiru's lips. She raised a hand and lightly touched Haruka's cheek. "Asking me to stay behind," she murmured with an amused shake of her head. "Didn't you know that I'd never let you face something like this without me?"  
Haruka had to smile in return, and she put one hand up to cover Michiru's. "I guess I did know. I was just hoping to keep you out of this." A shadow entered her crystalline gray eyes. "This is the most dangerous thing we've ever done, Michiru. We're talking about entering the mouth of darkness itself. I don't want anything to happen to you."  
The violinist squeezed her partner's fingers gently. "I don't care what happens to me, Haruka, as long as you and I are together." Haruka nodded with understanding, and Michiru's smile slowly faded. "All right. Old rules are back in place, hmm? The goal is the destruction of Narcissus and that Soul Dissolver thing. We will sacrifice anything, including our own lives or each other's lives, to achieve that goal."  
Haruka nodded again. "Agreed. If one of us is killed, it is up to the other to finish the mission. The odds are better that at least one of us will survive to find Narcissus."   
The two girls gazed into one another's eyes for a moment longer, still gripping hands between them. And then, slowly and simultaneously, they let go. Their hands separated from each other with a finality that was felt by both of them, and in a fluid motion went to their jackets, where two henshin pens were produced.  
"Uranus Planet Power! Makeup!"  
"Neptune Planet Power! Makeup!"  
The smooth, sparkling snow reflected in teal and gold as the two Sailor Senshi underwent their transformations, the power swirling and glowing in pulsing waves all around them. Two _fukus_ appeared, and the glittering energy kissed two pairs of lips with a shiny gloss. Uranus flung the short, wispy bangs out of her eyes; Neptune's aquamarine waves flowed around her face. In a moment, the two Sailor Soldiers were ready to go.  
"All right, how do we get up there?" Neptune wanted to know as the two of them turned to face the Altar of Tears.  
"Well, I for one prefer the direct approach," Sailor Uranus responded with a hint of amusement in her voice. She stepped back a few paces, took a breath, and made a running, flying leap. The enhanced powers of her Senshi form kicked in right away, carrying her into the air almost ten feet, so that she landed on top of the cold black stone quite easily. She turned and grinned at Neptune. "Well, come on. What are you waiting for?"  
Neptune smiled back, and in a moment she had joined her partner on the top of the Altar. She scuffed at something with her foot, and looked down. "Uranus, look," she said, kneeling down to inspect the small stone manacles projecting from the Altar's surface. "This must be where Orion" as she touched the freezing stone, a sudden vision filled her mind. A girl, dressed all in white, lying on her back on the altar, her hands and feet securely fastened. A glowing globe. The sound of sobbing. A golden robed, white-haired young man with tears in his eyes, kneeling beside her. The glint of a knife "Oh!" Sailor Neptune snatched her hand away, feeling sick to her stomach.   
Uranus bent over in concern. "Neptune, are you all right?"  
The Elegant Soldier nodded, though her eyes were still squeezed shut and she looked as if she was going to be ill. Sailor Uranus helped her rise to her feet, and she turned to look at her partner with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Uranus, it's so horrible what happens here It's" She couldn't even finish.   
Uranus looked down at the black manacles herself. She had to admit that they were rather foreboding, and she could understand how Neptune would be disturbed by them. But there was no time for sentiment now, and she was not inclined to feel much pity for Sailor Orion, manacles or no. "We have to go," she said to Neptune firmly. "We have something more immediate to deal with."  
Sailor Neptune nodded, and blinked the tears away. Her expression hardened. "You're right. Let's do this." The two Sailor Senshi turned to look at the rift in the air in front of them. Experimentally, Neptune put a white-gloved hand out and into the tear. She pulled it back out and looked at it. It seemed normal enough. The girls looked at one another and nodded. Uranus held out her hand, and Neptune took it firmly. Then both of them stepped forward, into the Doomsday Gate and were swallowed up into the infinite blackness beyond.

"Are they crazy?!!" Makoto demanded, spinning around. Ami tugged at the agitated girl's sleeve.  
"Sit down, Mako-chan. You're wearing tracks in the carpet with all that pacing," the blue-haired girl admonished gently. "Besides, you're starting to make me nervous."  
Makoto took a seat next to Ami on the floor, but the next moment she'd sprung to her feet again, unable to sit still when there was such a crisis at hand. "What are they thinking?" she demanded again. "Running off to face Narcissus themselves! It's insane!"  
"They are trying to protect all of you," Setsuna reminded them quietly. "Uranus and Neptune know their duty as Sailor Senshi, and they will do whatever it takes to see that they do not fail in their duty." There was a pause as the group of girls considered her words. Setsuna's garnet eyes were grave. "I would join them, but I promised Neptune to stay behind and watch over you here."  
"Well, you don't have to worry about that, Setsuna-san. We're going after them."  
All eyes in the room turned to Usagi. She hadn't spoken, not once, to any of them since the meeting had begun and Setsuna had explained the situation to everyone. But now she was sitting very calmly at the head of table. She rose to her feet, and her expression was more serious, more authoritative, than any of them had ever seen before. She surveyed her friends with a serene determination. "I'm not going to demand that any of you come with me," she declared softly. "You are all aware, I'm sure, how dangerous this is. But I'm not going to let Uranus and Neptune take on the Negaverse alone. Besides, I have a score to settle with Narcissus." Her blue eyes rested momentarily on the figure of her future daughter, sitting at the table. "I'm going. The rest of you may choose to come or to stay I won't think any less of you if you want to stay here."  
"You're kidding, right?" This was from Rei, whose violet eyes were beginning to spark. "Of course we're coming with you. We're Sailor Senshi. We stand together." The other girls at the table all nodded in agreement.  
"You got that right," Minako asserted firmly. "We're all going."  
Usagi looked at the faces of her friends, and nodded. "Then it's settled. We all go."  
"Yeah!" Chibiusa bounced to her feet, her pink ponytails bobbing enthusiastically. "We're gonna show that fancy-pants Negaverse pirate just what the Senshi are made of!"  
Usagi turned to gaze at the little girl. "You're staying here, Chibiusa-chan."   
"What?" The child turned to stare at her future mother. "No way! I'm a Sailor Senshi too, remember? And you heard what Rei said. We stand together."  
The petite Sailor leader shook her head. "No." Her expression was full of regret. "I'm sorry, Chibiusa. But you may not come with us. I won't permit it. You've already been placed in too much danger, and it will not happen again. You're staying behind."  
"You can't make me!"  
"I will lock you in Rei's room if I have to. You're not coming."  
Chibiusa's face began to turn as pink as her hair. "You wouldn't dare."  
"Watch me."  
Setsuna chose this moment to interrupt. "Small Lady, Usagi-chan is right. You must stay here and out of danger. If something were to happen to Sailor Moon, the protection of the earth would be your responsibility."   
"Puu!" Chibiusa turned to stare at Setsuna, her russet eyes full of rebuke.  
"I have to agree, Chibiusa-chan," Ami nodded. "I think it will be better for you to stay behind."  
The little girl spun towards Ami and the other girls, who were all nodding in agreement. "I don't believe it," she cried. "All of you you all want to just leave me here? You can't do this, it's not fair!"  
"Look, Chibiusa-chan, we already lost you once to Narcissus. We can't take the chance of it happening again," Makoto said soothingly, coming over to place a hand on the child's head. Chibiusa slapped it away.  
"Don't touch me!" she shrieked furiously, glaring around the room as if she were trying to decide which of them had betrayed her the most. She finally settled on Usagi, and her eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you'd do this, Usagi. You're so mean. All of you are just so MEAN!!!" Her small chest heaved with every syllable. "I hate you. I hate all of you. I hope you all die!" And with that, the youngest of the Senshi turned and fled from the room with tears running down her face.  
Usagi took a step towards the door as her future daughter ran out. Then she paused. She didn't want to leave like this, with Chibiusa mad at her. But then again, it was really no more than she deserved. She was a bad mother, after all and Chibiusa had every right to hate her for it. She'd already made the mistake once, letting Chibiusa get too close to the battle, and it wasn't going to happen again. That much at least she could be sure of. With a sigh, Usagi turned back to her friends.   
"She'll be all right, Usagi-chan," Minako tried to console her. "She's just upset."  
Usagi nodded. "I know. And there's no time to deal with it now. I'll just have to talk to her if" she rethought her words, " we get back." She straightened then, and the queenlike determination returned to her face. "Let's go."  
The other girls looked at one another, and then followed their leader out of the Hikawa Shrine. It was time for battle and they were ready for it.

"Uranus? Are you there?" Sailor Neptune could feel her partner's hand in her own, but she couldn't see anything. It was as if her vision had suddenly been taken from her, and the absolute blackness that surrounded them was almost painful to her eyes. It was the most disconcerting feeling, to hear Uranus' voice only about two feet away from her, and yet be completely unable to see her.  
"Yes, I'm here," came the response.   
"Well, what do we do now? Where do we go?"  
"I don't know," the Magnificent Soldier replied a bit uncertainly. "I guess we just walk forward until we find something."  
"Or fall off the edge of a cliff in this darkness."  
Uranus chuckled in her rich, throaty tones. "Oh, that's what I love about you, Neptune. Always looking on the bright side." But Neptune noted with amusement that her partner seemed to be taking careful caution as the two of them began to step forward. They'd only taken a few steps when suddenly Uranus paused, and Neptune turned towards her even though she couldn't see her. "Do you see that?" Sailor Uranus wanted to know.  
The Elegant Soldier looked ahead of them, squinting through the impenetrable blackness that enveloped them. Sure enough, she did see something but she wasn't sure what it was. A sort of light, except that it wasn't like any light she was accustomed to. It wasn't so much a light as it was simply a space where it was _less dark_ than everywhere else. "Yes, I see it. I don't know what it is, but I see it."  
"Well, I'm guessing that's where we should be heading. Careful now." Uranus began to move forward again, and Neptune, still holding tightly to her partner's hand, followed. As they approached, the 'less dark ' space seemed to be expanding, as if it were moving towards them rather than the other way around. Their focal point slowly seemed to be getting less and less black, until finally it was a definite gray color. Neptune still had no idea where they were going or what they were heading for, but she had the creepiest feeling that someone was watching them.  
"Uranus, stop a minute." She felt her partner come to a halt. "I'm going to pull out my Mirror. Maybe its light will help us figure out where we're going."  
"That's probably a good idea," Sailor Uranus responded in the darkness. Neptune let go of her friend's hand in order to summon the talisman from her body. She felt, though she could not see, the handle of her Mirror materialize in her hands. She concentrated on the power of the talisman for a moment, willing the surface to begin shedding its familiar glow. But nothing happened. Neptune wasn't sure if the Mirror had lost its power in this place of evil, or if the blackness was simply so complete that it was swallowing up even the glow of her Mirror. She sighed.  
"I don't think it's working, Uranus," she declared. "The darkness here must just be too strong." There was a moment of silence. Neptune suddenly felt a chill on her neck. "Uranus?" There was no reply. "Uranus, where are you?" Sailor Neptune extended a hand before her, feeling blindly in the dark for any sign of her partner. There was no one there. "Uranus!!" Neptune called out as loudly as she could. She heard her own voice echoing around her ears, but the echoes faded and there was no answer. The chill crept into her heart now, and her mouth went suddenly dry. Her partner was gone. Neptune didn't know where or what exactly had happened, but she was alone now in the blackness. "No," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "No, don't leave me by myself here. Please." She felt those eyes on her again that evil presence that seemed to be all around her. Neptune felt her blood begin to heat. "All right, Narcissus, I know you're here somewhere!" she cried, the echo of her words coming back to her through the impossible blackness as if it was mocking her. "Where is she? What did you do? You'd better show yourself right now!!"  
"Or else what?" Neptune spun around, squinting into the darkness in an attempt to locate the source of the icy voice. There was a derisive laugh that reverberated all around her, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms. "Foolish girl. You're in my world now. Your puny powers have no strength here. I want to thank you and your little friend for making my job so much easier; you've saved me the trouble of having to come and look for you."  
"Where is Uranus?" Neptune demanded of the bodiless voice.   
There was another laugh. "Would you like to join her?"  
"What did you do to her?"   
"Why don't you just go find out?" Narcissus chuckled again, and suddenly Sailor Neptune felt the ground beneath her feet giving way. She was falling, so suddenly that she didn't have time to scream, and then just as suddenly she landed, hard, on a cold stone floor. The evil laughter was echoing around her head. "Don't get too comfy, girls," Lord Narcissus advised. "I'll be there in a moment to put both of you out of your misery permanently." The laughter faded away.  
"Neptune, are you all right?"  
Neptune looked up in relief at the sound of Uranus' voice. "Oh, Uranus, thank heaven. I didn't know what had happened to you." She could finally see her partner's face; there appeared to be torches of some kind fixed to the walls around them, and at last the maddening blackness was gone. Uranus reached down and offered her a hand up.  
As Neptune regained her feet, she looked around her. "We seem to be in a dungeon of some kind," she observed, noting the chains hanging from the wall nearby and the bars that blocked off one end of the small room. "I wonder what Narcissus wants with us here?"  
"He's going to kill us, of course," Uranus answered flatly, her stony eyes also taking in their surroundings. "I can't believe I was so stupid. I led us right into a trap." She shook her head, and ran a hand though her short hair. "This is going to be the shortest mission in the history of the Senshi."  
Neptune sighed, and laid a hand on her partner's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Uranus," she said quietly. "I should have tried a little harder to fight him off, before he just dumped me in here."  
Uranus scowled, but she covered Neptune's hand with her own. "It's not your fault," she answered darkly. "Coming here was my idea, after all. I'm beginning to think it wasn't a very good one. But" she turned and met her friend's eyes. "I'm not dead yet. And I don't intend to give Narcissus the satisfaction of killing us without making him work for it first."  
"Well, my dear, I'm afraid I'm not going to give you the opportunity." Both Senshi looked up to see Lord Narcissus striding towards them from the other side of the bars, lavender cape billowing around him. He was carrying the Soul Dissolver, and there was a glint in his eye that neither girl liked very much. "Welcome to the Doomsday Gate, ladies. I hope you've enjoyed your visit, brief though it may be." He hoisted the Negaverse weapon to his shoulder. "Any last words?"  
"Not for you," Neptune snapped. She reached over to take Sailor Uranus' hand, and the partners locked eyes for a moment. "We're together," she pointed out softly to her friend, and Uranus nodded.  
"That's all I need." The taller girl entwined her white-gloved fingers firmly with Neptune's. "Partners even in death," she murmured quietly.  
"Well isn't that just so sweet?" Lord Narcissus interrupted with an affected air of sympathy. He pretended to wipe a tear from his one good eye. "I'm so sorry to have to break this up." Then his hand returned to the trigger, and his face settled into a gleeful grin. "Bye bye, now."  
"Well, Narcissus, I have to commend you. You finally did something right." The two Senshi and the Negaverse admiral both turned to see a young woman with a venomous, seductive voice suddenly materialize in the room. She was wearing a very pretty outfit a white, cropped halter top and leggings, with two soft pink, sheer skirt panels in the front and back that fell just below her knees. Her pale, rose-colored hair had been plaited into two very long braids, the tips of which were actually dragging on the floor a little. She was one of the most beautiful women that Neptune had ever seen. But there was an almost overpoweringly evil aura radiating from her every pore, and Neptune could have sworn there was murder in those sparkling sea green eyes.  
Lord Narcissus lowered the Soul Dissolver as he turned to face the newcomer. "What are you doing here, Lady Slipper? Come to watch the destruction of two of the Posiverse's most valuable warriors? Or maybe you just want to steal credit for their deaths yourself."  
The woman known as Lady Slipper giggled. "Not at all, my dear Admiral. I have always been one to give credit where credit is due. And I will admit that you have done much better than I expected. Attacking the little one first was a wise move on your part Orion has essentially rendered herself powerless by saving her. Which means that you can now strike at the Sailor Planets, and Orion herself, and destroy them all without having to worry about her retribution." Lady Slipper giggled again, and Neptune felt Uranus' hand form a fist.  
"You'll never defeat Sailor Moon," Uranus announced defiantly. "You can do whatever you want with the rest of us, but you'll never defeat her."  
Lady Slipper turned those poisonous eyes on the Magnificent Soldier, who was glaring at her. "Well, well, Uranus. It has been such a long time." She tilted her head to one side and clucked her tongue condescendingly. "My, my, dear, I don't think the years have been very kind to you. I mean, really, child, what have you done to your hair?" Uranus frowned, a bit confused, and put one hand up to touch her short-shorn locks. She was a bit perplexed; she'd worn her hair short for as long as she could remember. Lady Slipper sighed and shook her head. "You know, normally I would agree with you, dear. Sailor Moon's power is great, even greater than my own. But I don't think we have to worry about it. Your precious little princess has too many things cluttering up that pristine little soul of hers, thanks to Narcissus here."  
"What are you talking about?" Neptune demanded.  
Lady Slipper's pale green eyes widened. "Why, my dear girl, where do you think Sailor Moon gets all her power from? From that perfect pure heart of hers, that's where. And how much good do you think that heart is going to do her when the emotions tumbling through it are negative, dark ones?" She began to laugh again. "Our admiral here did the best thing he could possibly have done with that Soul Dissolver when he picked off the Sailor Leader's daughter. Your beloved princess is so full of guilt and fury and confusion over what happened out there that there's no way her spotless little soul is going to be able to generate the power that she needs to defeat us. And once we've killed you and the other Senshi, the pain and guilt will make Sailor Moon pretty much useless."  
Narcissus puffed out his chest a bit. "That's right," he declared haughtily. "I planned it that way all along." He raised the Soul Dissolver once more. "And now"  
"Stop right there, Narcissus." The admiral looked up in confusion at Lady Slipper, and she shook her head. "You don't want to kill them yet."  
"I don't?"  
"No, you don't. Not if you want to get Orion."  
Narcissus frowned. "What do you mean?"  
Lady Slipper rolled her eyes a little. "Well, let's just say that I know something about her that you don't know. You want to get Orion here, you have to use that one for bait." She jerked her thumb towards Sailor Uranus, and Uranus scoffed.  
"Look, I don't have any idea who you are, lady, or what you think you're going to do, but you should know that there's no love lost between Orion and me. I'd just as soon kill her as look at her, and I think she knows it. You've got the wrong 'bait' here."  
Lady Slipper turned to look at Uranus, and her lips curved a little. "Oh, I don't think so, Miss Uranus. You see, I know something _you_ don't know, either."  
Uranus folded her arms and stared back at her. "All right. Enlighten me."  
Lady Slipper tapped a finger against her cheek contemplatively. "No, I don't think I will. I'd sure hate to spoil the surprise. I want Orion to be here for this." She moved towards the bars of the cell, her hips swaying suggestively, and she paused just out of arm's reach. She winked at the scowling Senshi. "You'll just have to wait and see with everyone else, I suppose." Then she turned toward Narcissus, and extended an arm. "Come, my dear Admiral. The other Sailor Planets are on their way as we speak, and Sailor Delphinus and I have some interesting plans for entertaining them. We want them to feel like they're accomplishing their great rescue, now don't we?" As Narcissus took her arm, Lady Slipper turned towards the imprisoned Senshi. "You were right about one thing, though, Sailor Uranus. You really don't have any idea who I am." Her mocking laugh lingered and faded long after the two had left the dungeon.   
Uranus turned to face Neptune, and the Elegant Soldier sighed. "I have a very bad feeling about this, Uranus," she admitted to her partner.  
"So do I, Neptune." Uranus sighed, her eyes returning to the door through which Lady Slipper and Narcissus had disappeared. "So do I."

Neophilus looked up as the library doors burst open and the young Princess ran into the room. The child didn't even seem to notice as her street clothes melted into her royal gown, swirling around her feet in yards of white gossamer. He could sense her agitation right away, and he rose to his feet.  
"Small Lady." The reverberating, waterfall-like tones of his voice seemed to calm her a bit. "What is it? You are distressed."  
"Oh, you think so?" the little girl snapped back at him sarcastically. The Guardian's ruby eyes widened, and the Neo Moon Princess took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry, it's just that I need to talk to Mamo-chan I mean, Prince Endymion right away. It's really important."  
Guardian Father regarded her for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well. He is with the Sacred Child at the moment. I will take you to them." He turned towards the doors. "Come."  
She followed him out of the library, onto an open balcony. There was just enough time for her to note that the balcony was open to the sky above, and seemed to look down into a courtyard of sorts below, before realized that the Guardian was descending a flight of steps directly in front of him. She followed him down the steps, and was then standing before a great archway that led into the courtyard that she'd noticed before. She could hear the faint sound of water splashing, and caught a glimpse of two large fountains placed on opposite ends of the courtyard; and then she was following the golden-robed Guardian again, down another staircase. When they reached the bottom, he led her through a few stone corridors, past a number of oaken doors set into the wall at various intervals. Finally they turned a corner, and Neophilus reached out and opened the door directly in front of them.   
"Child?" he called out softly.  
"Come in, Guardian Father."  
He opened the door farther now, allowing the small pink-haired princess to step in before him, and then he followed suit, and closed the door. The Sacred Child was lying in a bed of white satin, just where he'd left her. Prince Endymion was seated in a small wooden chair by her bedside. The prince looked up as the little girl came running over to him.  
"Chibiusa-chan! What's the matter?" Endymion inquired at the tearstreaks on his future daughter's face. The child launched herself into his arms and clung to him, and began to cry again.  
"It's not fair, Mamo-chan! They're being mean to me they're all being mean, Usagi's the worst though, and they're going and they won't let me come and they said I had to stay behind and Usagi said she was gonna lock me in Rei's room and"  
"Whoa, hang on there, Chibiusa-chan," Endymion protested as the girl's blabbering was lost in the shoulder of his armor. He gently moved her away from him, getting her to look him in the eyes. "Now take a deep breath. Good girl. Okay, slow down and tell me what's going on."   
She did her best to calm her voice, though the tears were still sparkling in her eyes and her chin was quivering. "Uranus and Neptune went to fight Narcissus all by themselves. Neptune told Setsuna, and she and Usagi called a Scout meeting. Then Usagi said she was going to go find Narcissus too, and the other Senshi are going, and they wouldn't let me come. They were all so mean and they all want to leave me here while they go off and fight. It's not fair!!"   
Shinzui overheard this exchange, and raised her head a bit. "Small Lady," she said softly. The Neo Moon Princess turned to look at the pale blind girl in the bed, and for a moment she was distracted from her indignation.  
"Shinzui-san!" the child exclaimed, relief and wonder in her voice. "You're okay!" She released her grip on her future father's neck in order to throw her little arms around the girl on the pillow. Shinzui bit her lip to keep from crying out at the sudden pressure on her tender, sore body, but she still managed to smile at her.  
"Small Lady. Did you just say that the Princess and the other Senshi are going to face off with Narcissus?"  
"Yeah." The little girl nodded. "And they left me behind. It was really mean of them. Really mean." She repeated the last words with emphasis.  
The alarm bells were going off in Shinzui's head. She couldn't believe it of all the stupid things for Uranus and Neptune to do, going after Narcissus while he was in possession of the Soul Dissolver was the absolute worst. And now the Princess was going too and if Narcissus managed to turn the weapon on her, all was lost. Orion struggled to sit up, despite the knifing, needling pain in her lungs and muscles, and could not help gasping as the burning agony shot through her. She was weaker than she'd supposed. Almost immediately, she felt hands at her shoulders, forcing her to lie back on the bed. She knew from the contact that it was Neophilus.  
"Child, what do you think you're doing? You're in no shape to be going anywhere."  
"Guardian Father, please. You have to let me go. She can't face Narcissus by herself she doesn't know what she's doing. I have to help her."  
"You're not leaving this room, Child. Whatever will be, will be. You know that the other Guardians and myself will even intervene, if necessary, to protect the Sailor Leader and the Silver Crystal, but you are not going anywhere in the condition you're in."  
Shinzui sighed with frustration, but Prince Endymion took her hand. "Don't worry, Shinzui-san," he assured her quietly. "I'll go. I'll watch over her over all of them. It will be all right."  
The Neo Moon Princess tugged at her future father's cape. "I get to come too, right?" she wanted to know, her eyes full of pleading. But Shinzui interrupted before Endymion could respond.  
"Small Lady if you go with him there will be no one for me to talk to," she smiled, reaching her other hand out towards the child. "Please don't leave me here all alone. It gets terribly boring when I can't read and the Guardians won't even let me out of bed. Won't you please stay and keep me company?" Shinzui knew that Usagi had very good reason to want to leave the child behind. At least, if Shinzui couldn't go, she could help watch over Chibiusa while the others were away.  
The small princess seemed to be considering this. She really wanted to go help the other Senshi with this battle she wanted to be included as well. But Shinzui had nearly died in order to save her life. How could she deny a simple request from the person who'd literally brought her back from the dead? Besides, it was, in part, Chibiusa's own fault that Shinzui was sick and weak right now. If she hadn't been so eager to run forward and confront Narcissus, she never would have been shot with that Soul Dissolver thing, and Shinzui wouldn't have had to practically kill herself in order to bring her back. The child nodded slowly. "Okay, Shinzui-san. I'll stay here with you. I can read to you and stuff, right?"  
"I'd really like that," the blind girl responded sweetly. Then she turned towards Endymion and squeezed his hand gently. "Go, Prince Endymion. Find the princess and take care of her. And don't worry things will turn out all right, you'll see."   
The handsome young man smiled down at her. "Thank you," he said simply. Giving his future daughter another squeeze, he grinned. "Keep an eye on Shinzui-san," he commanded with a twinkle in his eye. "Make sure she stays in that bed and gets some rest."  
The pink-haired princess grinned back. "I'll make her be good," she promised. "Don't worry, Mamo-chan." Endymion nodded, and then with a swirl of black and red, he left the room to find his Princess.   
Shinzui sighed as she heard the door close. At the moment there was nothing she wanted more than to get up off this bed and go after him, go after all of them. Battling Narcissus was no light matter, and the Senshi had no idea what they were getting themselves into, really. Another wave of guilt swept over her. This was her fault. It was all her fault. If only she hadn't been what she'd been. If only there was a way to change the mistakes of the past. If only she could just take it all back. Of course, there was no use agonizing over "if only". Even Pluto hadn't been able to change history when it came to her past. It was just one of those things she was going to have to live with, like it or not. And after everything that she'd done, she didn't deserve a magical erasure of past deeds, anyway. She was getting exactly what she deserved an eternity of retribution and guilt. It was only right that the light side of her soul labor to right the wrongs of the dark side. The Soul Dissolver she'd been so certain that it had been destroyed. Shinzui could have kicked herself for not checking to make sure. How could she have been so careless? She'd become so absorbed in the details of the Sacred Sacrifice that she hadn't paid enough attention to the other dangers. Why, oh, why hadn't she gone after the Soul Dissolver herself, destroyed it herself, scattered it in fragments over the galaxy so it could never be found and used again? The cursed weapon was the epitome of her past problems, and she should have gone to greater lengths to ensure that it had been annihilated.   
And what about Uranus? Shinzui wasn't really surprised that the hot-headed Senshi had gone off to attack Narcissus herself. But Uranus' power, impressive and enthusiastic though it may be, would never be a match for the Soul Dissolver. Shinzui had already caused Uranus enough pain. She'd sworn, millennia ago, that it would never happen again. And now it felt like history was repeating itself. She'd die before she let anyone bring harm to Uranus, that was certain. If anything happened to her, Shinzui knew she'd never be able to live with herself. It was, after all, Uranus who was her only real reason for existing anyway. She'd spent the first part of eternity destroying the Magnificent Soldier, and it was only right that she spend the rest of eternity protecting her. But how could she manage it when she couldn't even sit up on her own? Shinzui closed her sightless eyes and felt like crying, though she knew it wouldn't do any good. She'd spent too many lifetimes in tears, and it had never proven very helpful. What was done was done. Now there was only the matter of trying to set things straight again.   
She felt the cold creeping into her veins as she recalled the pompous expression on Lord Narcissus' face as he brandished the Soul Dissolver at her friends. Narcissus had to die. That was that. Shinzui could tolerate the insults and the boorish, clumsy attacks. But she would not tolerate this. And then Shinzui remembered the flower that Narcissus had brandished at her, that day in the warehouse when she'd revealed herself to the other Senshi, and she smiled grimly to herself. Lady Slipper was behind all of this too, Shinzui was certain. And Lady Slipper would also pay the price. Shinzui was going to find the Soul Dissolver this time, and it was going to be destroyed once and for all, if it took every last breath in her body.   
"Shinzui-san?"  
The blind girl opened her opaque gray eyes again and tilted her head towards the Neo Moon Princess with a smile. "Thank you for staying with me, Small Lady."  
"Shinzui-san, do you think Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen-sama and everyone will be all right?"  
Shinzui sighed, and then nodded. "I have faith in the Princess, Small Lady. Her power is different from all the other Senshi, because it comes from her soul. And as long as her soul remains pure and full of love, her power will be undefeatable. Even Narcissus cannot stand up to it. And you know, I'm not so sure the Soul Dissolver can, either. If anyone has the ability to win this fight, it will be the Princess." Shinzui did not mention her new resolve to go take care of it herself. The Senshi were attacking together that was good. It would buy her some time to gather her strength, to heal. And the minute she'd regained enough power to stand on her own and transform, well, the Negaverse had better just say its prayers, because Sailor Orion had lived over a thousand lifetimes and she had a very long memory.

"Is this it?" Sailor Moon wanted to know, staring dubiously at the tall black monument in front of them. It was about eight feet tall, nearly twice as tall as she was, and covered in all sorts of intricate carvings and decoration. The blackness of the stone was menacing, and she felt a chill down her spine as she stared at it, as if she ought to recognize it from somewhere.  
"Yes," Sailor Pluto responded quietly, stepping up behind them. "This is the Altar of Tears."  
Sailor Mercury was tapping away on her computer, and she frowned as she looked up at Pluto. "Sailor Pluto, my computer can't analyze the engravings here. The symbols are unknown to its database. What do they mean?"  
Pluto closed her garnet eyes for a moment, and when she spoke, her melodical, timeless voice was full of sorrow. 

_ "The blood of one that here does fall  
Will give the strength to save us all  
The Child whose Soul will seal the Gate  
Whose heart will stay the hand of fate  
Here gives her life, here ends her years  
On this, the Altar of our Tears."_

Sailor Venus was staring at Pluto. "That's so sad," she whispered. "Pluto, who wrote that?"  
The Revolutionary Soldier opened her eyes and looked at the Senshi of Beauty. "You did, Venus. When this Altar was built." Venus' mouth dropped open, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Pluto's smile was sad. "I do not remember very much about that time," she admitted softly. "Unlike Orion, my memory tends to fade as time goes by. When I am guarding the Time Gate alone, moments, hours, past and future all seem to blend together until I forget the details of history. But I remember this. I could never forget this." She turned to look at the Altar again. "We built this Altar, Venus. You and I and Saturn and Mercury. We built it together, so that Sailor Orion-- the Sacred Child-- could die." Pluto shook her head, and her dark green hair billowed gently around her face. "Of all the things that I have done in my lifetime, this is the one I am least proud of."  
Venus was now looking at the Altar with a new-found distaste. "Me too," she agreed emphatically.   
Sailor Jupiter stepped forward. "Look, guys, this is really sad and everything, I know. But we've got more important things to worry about here. Uranus and Neptune are in there." She pointed up at the rift in space that was dangling, suspended, above the stone altar. "Don't you think we ought to be going in after them?"  
"Jupiter is right." Everyone turned to stare at Sailor Moon again. She was glaring up at the hole in the air as if it were the ugliest enemy she'd ever seen in her life. The other Senshi had never seen her this way so hard and _angry_. "I want that Soul Dissolver destroyed, and I want Narcissus dead."  
Sailor Mars' eyes widened in surprise. "Sailor Moon that doesn't sound like you at all."  
Sailor Moon turned to look at Mars with fire in her face. "He killed ChibiMoon, Mars. He killed my daughter. And because of him Sailor Orion nearly killed herself to save her. I want him to die."  
The girls looked at one another with concern. Sailor Moon wishing death on an enemy? It was unheard of. But Jupiter laid one hand on the petite blonde's shoulder. "Don't you worry, Sailor Moon," she said quietly. "We're gonna get him. I promise."  
Sailor Moon turned to meet Jupiter's eyes, and she nodded with gratitude.  
"Well, hello there, ladies." The Sailor Senshi looked up to see Lord Narcissus perched on the top of the Altar of Tears, grinning down at them. The Negaverse admiral seemed terribly pleased with himself. "I assume you've come for your two little friends."  
"What have you done with them?" Sailor Venus demanded.  
"Oh, never fear, Sailor brats. They're waiting for you inside. But um I'm afraid, if you want to see them, you're going to have to prove yourselves worthy to enter the Doomsday Gate. It's a little tradition we have around here." Lord Narcissus' teeth glittered whitely as he smiled.  
"A tradition, huh?" Sailor Jupiter butted in. "Well, let me introduce you to a little tradition of mine. It's called get out of the Sailor Scout's way before she fries your brains into oblivion." The lightning rod on her tiara began to crackle suggestively.  
Narcissus chuckled. "Amusing, Miss Jupiter. But you might want to save your energy. You're going to need it." He turned towards the Gate behind him, and called out, "Come to me, my _jaki_!"  
The Senshi watched as a drop of the black, sticky liquid fell from the bottommost edge of the rift. It was followed by another. And another. The liquid continued to fall as it took on a more solid shape, rising from the smooth black surface of the altar. It rose and it rose and it rose.   
"That thing's got to be, like, twenty feet high!" Sailor Mars gasped in horror.  
"Twenty three point eight four feet, actually," Mercury corrected as her computerized goggles analyzed the creature.   
Sailor Venus groaned. "Mercury, I really wish you hadn't said that. I think I was happier with the estimate."  
Lord Narcissus was chuckling again. "Well, have fun, girls," he said cheerfully. "I've got some things to do. I'll come back and check on you in a bit, all right?" The lavender-clad admiral stepped backwards into the Gate and disappeared.   
Sailor Jupiter rubbed her hands together as the monstrous evil spirit continued to solidify. "Well, Sailor Scouts," she declared with a bitter grin. "This should be a lot of fun, hmm?"  
The others were not so sure.

[Back to Part Sixteen][1]  
[On to Part Eighteen][2]  
[Back to the Library][3]  
[Back to the Refuge][4]

   [1]: fanfic16.htm
   [2]: fanfic18.htm
   [3]: library.htm
   [4]: SailorOrion.htm



	18. The Darkness within. Defeating the monst...

[Click here to listen to the Part Eighteen soundtrack while you read!][1]

Part Eighteen: The Darkness within. Defeating the monster

The six Senshi stared in horrified awe at the giant black creature looming over them. As its features firmed and defined themselves, Sailor Moon felt her will beginning to falter a bit. How was she supposed to lead the Senshi in battle against this thing? She couldn't even save her own daughter from Narcissus how did she expect to be able to help her friends against a monster that was the size of a large house? What if they all were killed, while she just stood there frozen with fear? Her mind recalled the image of Mamoru's face, so stricken with hurt and betrayal as she'd thrown those horrible words at him. He probably hated her now. That was a good thing. He ought to hate her. At least then she wouldn't be putting him in any danger from her own cowardice and weakness. Sailor Moon looked up at the massive _jaki_ and glared. This was Narcissus' fault, too. That wretched Negaverse admiral had been attacking her friends and family long enough. She wanted him to die for what he'd done.  
Her hands tightened into fists as she glowered at the creature. It had finished its solidification, and two large yellow eyes opened, each one the size of a basketball. They blinked down at the six small humans in front of it, and then a grin spread across its ugly, shiny face. "Human juice," it hissed, the yellow eyes lighting up. One giant paw-like arm came down towards them as the _jaki_ attempted to grab Sailor Mercury.  
"Hey, hands off my friends, ugly," Sailor Jupiter bellowed. "We ain't making it that easy for you." She lifted her arms above her head. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" She sent her crackling discus flying towards the creature's hand.   
The _jaki_ looked over at her, and it caught the shimmering disc between its fingers. The hideous head tilted to the side as it examined the positive energy sizzling in its hand, and the Senshi watched in amazement as the monster raised the attack to his nose to sniff it, and then tried biting down on it. It gave off an electrical shock as the evil spirit's white teeth crunched down into it, and the _jaki_ hissed with annoyance. It flicked the disc of energy back towards the Senshi.  
"Look out!" Sailor Mars yelled as all of the Sailor Soldiers were forced to dive away. Jupiter's attack skidded into the ground in an explosion of sparks that melted the snow away. The _jaki_ frowned as its attention was caught by Sailor Venus, who had ended up very near its foot. It reached down to pick her up instead.  
"Cut it out!" Venus protested as the slick black hand closed around her, lifting her off the ground. "Let me go oof!" Her face started to turn a little blue as the monster tightened its grip to keep her from struggling.  
"Venus!" Sailors Mercury and Mars both exclaimed at the same time. Mars put her hands together in front of her and powered up.  
"Burning Mandala!" She released the blazing fiery attack towards the _jaki_'s hand.  
"Ow, ow, ow!!" Sailor Venus hollered as the flames surrounded her. Fortunately the energy was positive and so it did not cause any real damage to the Senshi of Beauty, but Venus glared down at Mars all the same. "Thanks a lot, Mars I really needed that. Crazy pyro."  
Sailor Mars stuck her tongue out at Venus. "Well, excuse me for trying to be helpful."  
"Helpful! You call singing my eyebrows off being helpful? Hey hey, stop that! What on earth are you doing?" Venus glared at the _jaki_ as it turned her upside down, making her long golden hair swing loose. It started to rub her hair on its face like a makeup brush and began hissing happily.   
"I think it likes you, Venus," Sailor Jupiter chuckled.  
Sailor Venus glared again, which was difficult to do while being held upside down. "Well, I don't care. Okay, mister monster. I've had enough." Venus touched her finger to the _jaki_'s hand. "Crescent Beam!" she exclaimed, releasing her golden power directly into the creature's skin. The evil spirit hissed again, this time with surprise and pain, and released Venus in midair. Thanks to her athletic skills, she managed to maneuver herself over to land on her feet in the snow. Sailor Jupiter was chuckling again as she stood up.   
"What's the matter, he's not your type?" she teased.  
Venus brushed her skirt off but her reply was interrupted by Sailor Pluto. "No time for this, Senshi," the Revolutionary Soldier ordered as she took a defensive stance. "I don't think it wants to play anymore."  
Sailor Venus and Sailor Jupiter looked up to see the Negaverse creature holding its hand and hissing angrily. It glared down at Venus, and then lifted one enormous foot. "Look out, Venus, it's going to crush you!" Sailor Mercury called out. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" The blue-haired Sailor Soldier used her glittering watery attack on the monster's other leg, encasing it in ice. Of course, it was not enough to cause any real damage, but the sudden cold on its skin was enough of a distraction to allow Sailor Venus to roll out of the way of the other foot before it could descend on her.  
The _jaki _turned to look at its leg for a moment, confused. Once it figured out that the ice was what was causing the cold, it picked its leg up and shook it. Small shards of ice went flying in every direction. The creature looked down at Sailor Mercury and opened its mouth, sending a blast of black power towards her. Mercury ducked and leapt out of the way, and the bolt of energy was absorbed into the ground where she'd been standing a moment before. As she moved, she could hear Sailor Pluto attacking from the other side.  
"Dead Scream." The terrifying, cloudy attack swirled around the evil spirit, causing it to fall back a step. Sailors Mars and Jupiter followed immediately with their attacks, both of which slammed directly into the _jaki_'s chest. It hissed again, but didn't seem to be very effected by their powers. Pluto turned towards Sailor Moon.  
"Sailor Moon, our attacks aren't damaging it. We need your purification powers in order for this to work."  
Sailor Moon nodded. "Okay. Can you keep it busy while I power the attack up?"  
"Sure," Jupiter answered with a grin. "Piece of cake." She blasted at the creature with another lighting attack, and then dodged as more black energy was fired at her.  
Sailor Moon pulled out her Spiral Heart Moon Rod, and began to concentrate. She had to do this for the sake of her friends she had to make this work. Vaguely she found herself wishing that she hadn't been so quick to give up the Sacred Cup to Mistress Nine. She really could have used that extra transformation right about now. She was sure that as Super Sailor Moon she would have been able to take care of this thing in no time flat, but she wasn't so sure about her ordinary powers. It was such a shame that the Cup had been destroyed in the battle with Pharoah 90. But then, whose fault was that? She was the one who had handed the Cup over like a ninny, hoping against hope that it would save Hotaru. If it hadn't been for the sake of Sailor Saturn's love for her father, Mistress Nine and Pharoah 90 probably would have succeeded in taking over the world, and Chibiusa would have been dead. Sailor Moon's eyes widened as she realized this why, she'd been an awful mother from the very beginning! It was true. She'd left Chibiusa on her own, and Kaori Night had kidnapped her away and stolen her pure heart for the Messiah of Silence. That had been her fault.   
But there was no time to be dwelling on such things. The other Senshi needed her, and she didn't want to let them all down. Holding the Rod in front of her, Sailor Moon tried to concentrate on the Moon Kingdom, on the power of the Silver Crystal, on the strength of soul that would lend her the power she needed. But thinking about the Moon Kingdom only brought back more memories of past failures. Queen Beryl had killed Prince Endymion in the last battle of the Silver Millennium. The wicked queen had just reached down out of the sky and taken his life, while she'd stood there whimpering like the spoiled little coward that she was. And then, when Beryl returned, Mamoru had been taken once more and brainwashed. Not just once, but twice in a row and she hadn't done anything. Hadn't gone after Beryl. Hadn't actively pursued Mamoru to get him back. Not only that, but when she finally did meet up with Mamoru in Beryl's palace, she had actually used her Moon Tiara on him!! She tried to kill him - her one true love, her soul-mate, the one person on earth who loved her more than anything else - and she'd tried to kill him. Why? Because she was scared. Sailor Moon winced as she finally admitted it to herself. She'd been scared for her own life, and so she'd tried to take Mamoru's instead of fighting to get him back.   
And her cowardice had cost her friends their lives, too. All the way to Beryl's palace, she'd hung back and let the other four Senshi fight for her and die for her. All four of them lost their lives because she wouldn't lift a finger herself to fight back. She was supposed to be the most powerful one. Sailor Moon opened her eyes to look at her friends, battling the _jaki_. Sailor Venus fired off another Crescent Beam, while Mercury and Jupiter combined efforts to attack from the other side. The creature roared and slapped at Venus, sending her spinning across the ground, and Sailor Pluto stepped in to take her place and continue the barrage of attacks. Mars sent a huge fireball towards the _jaki_'s face to distract it while she ran over to check on Venus. Sailor Moon watched all of this as if it were occuring in slow motion. How she loved her friends, her fellow Soldiers. She wasn't worthy of their love and devotion. And here they were, putting all their energy and heart into the battle, and once again, she was just standing there uselessly. Tears of frustration filled her eyes, and the whole scene of the battle began to blur in front of her as she lowered the Spiral Heart Rod. She WAS useless. Completely and utterly useless.   
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear Jupiter shouting at her, asking her to do something oh, that's right, she was supposed to be powering up her attack. Sailor Moon looked over at Jupiter, who was waving her arms at her. There was a long bloody gash above Jupiter's left eye, and another on on her leg. Sailor Moon wondered when her friend had received those. She met Jupiter's eyes dully, helplessly. Didn't Jupiter understand that there wasn't anything she could do? She was a coward, a wimp. She was nothing. She couldn't help them. The tears spilled over onto her face, and as Jupiter stared at her, the brunette's expression contracted into disgust? Worry? Fear? Sailor Moon was too far away and too full of emotion herself to tell. The Moon Rod dropped from her fingers and struck the snow.  
Sailor Jupiter spun around. What was taking Sailor Moon so long? They needed that attack, and they needed it now. This ugly evil thing was sapping their energy reserves quickly. She waved an arm at the Sailor Leader. "Sailor Moon! Now!" she called out. The petite blond girl turned towards her slowly, lowering her Moon Rod, and Jupiter's eyes widened. What on earth did Sailor Moon think she was doing? She hadn't even powered up yet. "Come on, Sailor Moon, you've got to attack it now!" Sailor Moon was just staring at her blankly. Something wasn't right. And then, Sailor Jupiter saw several large tears roll down their leader's face, and the Moon Rod fell to the ground. Jupiter's eyes widened. "Mars! Mars! Something's wrong with Sailor Moon!!"   
Sailor Mars turned to see the tiny Sailor Leader, staring dully at the looming _jaki_, her hands limp at her sides and tears running down her face. She snorted with disgust. "Sailor Moon, snap out of it, now! We don't have time for your bellyaching!!"  
Sailor Jupiter sent another electrical attack towards the _jaki_, and then turned to look again at Sailor Moon. "Hold it, Mars, I don't think she's being dramatic this time! Something's really wrong!!" She reached up to wipe the blood out of her eyes. Of all the places for her to get cut, it had to be right over her eye. She started to move towards Sailor Moon, when an unexpected bolt of the _jaki_'s lighting caused her to go flying in the opposite direction.  
"Jupiter!!" This cry came from Venus, who was struggling to her feet. Her left arm was hanging at an awkward angle, probably broken from that harsh slap from the _jaki,_ but with her right arm she managed to release her golden chain towards the monster. She cracked the chain like a whip, slashing across the hideous black shoulders. "That's for blasting my friend, you nasty freak!"  
The creature hissed and turned towards Venus. It released another burst of negative power. "Look out, Venus!" Sailor Mercury called, leaping towards her. The blue Senshi grabbed the golden one around the waist to push her out of the way, but the _jaki_'s attack caught her square between the shoulder blades and she fell on top of Venus, unconcious. Sailor Pluto was then kicked aside so that she was slammed into the side of the Altar of Tears, and then the _jaki_ turned its yellow-eyed attention to the Senshi of Fire.  
Mars glowered at the creature. "Oh, you think you're such a big tough guy, don't you? Eat this!" She pointed her fingers, gun-like, at it. "Fire Soul!" A stream of blazing energy struck the _jaki_ right in one of its yellow eyes, and the evil spirit gave a shriek of pain. Mars grinned. "Gotcha," she crowed. But the very next moment she found herself flying through the air as the monster's hand came down around her, picked her up, and hurled her away. For a few seconds she was suspended in midair, but the ground was rushing up to meet her very quickly. "Oh, this is going to hurt," Mars muttered to herself, and then she hit the snow and the world went dark.   
Sailor Moon watched all of this numbly. It was happening again. Her friends getting hurt, right in front of her eyes, and she couldn't move. All she could do was stand and watch. It was so disgusting she even revolted herself. The _jaki _turned towards her, and began to take big steps, its enormous feet shaking the ground. Sailor Moon sighed. Finally she would get what she deserved. The _jaki_ would kill her and then her friends could be rid of her once and for all. It would be good riddance, too. She found herself thinking about Neptune and Uranus, lost somewhere in the Doomsday Gate, and she knew that if Uranus could see her right now she'd be furious. But Sailor Moon knew she wasn't the Messiah, not really. How could she be when she was such a coward? Uranus and Neptune had been right when they accused her of being too soft. She was worse than soft. She was a chicken, plain and simple.   
"Sailor Moon!! Sailor Moon, move out of the way!" Sailor Moon could hear Jupiter and Venus screaming at her, and she looked up to see Venus struggling to get out from underneath Mercury, but her broken arm was making that difficult. Sailor Jupiter also seemed to be trying to get up, but the paralyzing effects of the_ jaki_'s negative power beam had rendered her legs immobile. Sailor Moon gazed back up at the _jaki_. The eye that Mars had burned was scorched black now, and the creature was glaring at her with its one good eye. The giant black hand came down towards her, and Sailor Moon closed her eyes. It was better this way.  
She opened her eyes again, however, as a loud swooshing sound and a howl of pain from the _jaki_ interrupted her reverie. The evil spirit was holding out its hand and stomping about rather comically, and Sailor Moon could see a long neat row of roses firmly embedded into the shiny, oily skin. Her eyes widened and she turned to find Tuxedo Kamen running towards her, his long black cape flying.  
"Sailor Moon! You have to destroy that thing. You have to do it now," he ordered.  
Sailor Moon stared at him blankly. He was so handsome. Those incredible eyes, even behind that mask, were enough to make her knees weak. He was saying something to her. She didn't care what it was he was speaking! She had been so sure he'd never speak to her again, after everything she'd said to him. Wait, why was he here? She'd broken it off with him, hadn't she? And besides, he'd been pretty mad at her when he kicked her out of his apartment. So he couldn't be here for her sake. He was protector of Earth, she reminded herself. He was trying to save Earth from Narcissus and the Negaverse and whatever else was behind all this trouble. And she was supposed to be helping him. Well, maybe she'd failed Chibiusa and her friends, and even Mamoru but she wouldn't fail the Earth. She'd fight for that.  
"My wand" Sailor Moon looked around her confusedly. "Where's my wand?"  
Tuxedo Kamen picked the Spiral Heart Moon Rod up from the snow, and handed it to her, a look of worry on his face. How could she not know where her Moon Rod was? She seemed awfully disoriented. Sailor Moon took the Rod from his hands and held it up, concentrating. The _jaki_ was too busy trying to remove the stinging roses sticking out of its hand to pay any attention to her. Sailor Moon called upon her power as she always did, though it seemed a little sluggish in coming and she had to concentrate harder than usual to make the power flow. She frowned in confusion as she drew the wand up, mentally pulling on the strength that she needed for the attack. With a laborious effort she swung the Rod around in a circle, and began to spin around. Small beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She couldn't ever remember it being this hard for her to attack before, unless she'd been severely depleted or injured already but she hadn't even moved in this battle yet, so that couldn't be the problem. "Moon" The Rod began to pulse with power, and Sailor Moon hissed between her teeth. It was taking almost all of her strength just to hold onto the thing. "Healing" She bent her knees as she spun faster. It was getting difficult to breathe. Just a little more "Escalation!" Sailor Moon thrust the wand into the air, putting one leg out and using her free hand to support herself on the ground. The waves of purifying energy exploded from the heart of the Rod, swelling out to cover everyone and everything around the Altar. The _jaki_ looked up from its hand as the positive power surrounded it, and it screeched with pain and disappointment as the purity washed over it, cleansing the evil and reducing it to nothing more than a lake of sticky black oil. Sailor Moon opened her eyes to see the creature melting away, dissolving into the now-familiar dark liquid that slowly seeped into the ground. The cleansing, healing energy was reviving her friends as well, and as the Sailor Leader lowered the Moon Rod, she collapsed into Tuxedo Kamen's arms.

"Damn!!" Sailor Uranus pounded her fist on the brick wall of their cell. "I can't get us out of here. I've tried everything I can think of. These bars are just too strong. And I can't figure out the door there doesn't seem to BE a door, or a lock, or anything. It's like that hole in the ceiling is the only way in and out of this place." She glared up at the solid rock above them. "And now even that seems to be gone."  
"It's all right, Uranus," Neptune said soothingly, coming up behind her and laying a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll find a way. He can't keep us locked up here forever."  
There was a mocking giggle from the doorway. "On the contrary, my dear Neptune. Narcissus and I can keep you here for the rest of eternity if we so choose. But never fear. We don't intend to allow you to live that long." Lady Slipper stepped in front of the bars, just out of Uranus's arm-reach.  
Uranus noticed the careful distance that the Negaverse woman was keeping from her, and she grinned. "Well, if you're so eager to kill us, why don't you just come in here and try it? I'll even let you tie one arm behind my back, so we're a little more evenly matched." There was a wicked gleam in her eye.  
Lady Slipper lifted one rose-colored eyebrow. "My dear girl, if I were to fight you, you would be needing both your hands, let me assure you. And they probably wouldn't do you much good." She flipped one of her floor-length braids over one shoulder, and then offered a slow, seductive smile. "However, I am going to come in there. There's something else I need from you." Her brilliant sea-green eyes narrowed, and Lady Slipper snapped her fingers. Suddenly, Uranus and Neptune were both slammed backwards against opposite walls by some unseen, powerful force. Uranus grunted as the wind was knocked out of her, and as she tried to straighten, she felt something solid and cold clamping down around her wrists and ankles.  
"What the" She turned to look at her wrists. They'd been encased in sturdy iron manacles that had somehow miraculously appeared from the stone wall. Uranus looked across the room to find her partner in similar constraints, and she growled at Lady Slipper. "I don't know what you think you're going to do, but when I get out of here"  
"Hush now, Miss Uranus." This was Narcissus' voice, and the lavender-haired admiral entered the room as well. "No need to go making all this fuss. We're just going to take a look at your blood."  
Neptune frowned. "What?"  
Lord Narcissus grinned. "Oh, it's quite simple. You see, while Lady Slipper and I were setting up some welcome mats, so to speak, for your little Senshi friends, I came up with a rather ingenious idea."  
"You mean I came up with a rather ingenious idea," Lady Slipper corrected him with a raised eyebrow. Narcissus cleared his throat.  
"Ahem well, whatever. The point is, we think maybe the Silver Dagger has been infused into the blood of one of you despicable little Sailor brats. I mean, it would make sense for an item of power like that to be drawn to a human possessing powers as well. And so I-" he cast another look over at Lady Slipper, who was staring at him pointedly, "-uh, that is, we we decided that since we happen to have two of the Senshi sitting in the brig at this very moment, we might as well make the most of the opportunity."  
Uranus scowled at him. "I see. And exactly how are you going to determine whether we're carrying this Dagger around in our bloodstream?"  
Lady Slipper smiled again, condescendingly, and once more snapped her fingers. Sailor Neptune gasped in astonishment as the bars of their cell dissolved away, disappearing into thin air. Lady Slipper and Narcissus stepped forward into the cell, and there was a glint in the woman's eye that Uranus did not like at all. Lady Slipper walked towards Sailor Neptune, who was attached to the opposite wall, and then she turned back towards Uranus. "Well, I'll tell you what, Uranus. Your little partner here can go first, and you can watch and see exactly how it's done. Don't worry, it's not going to hurt. Much."  
Uranus' eyes widened as she saw Narcissus reach beneath his long cape, and pull out a shiny silver knife. Lord Narcissus grinned and took a step towards Neptune. "Wait," Uranus commanded, struggling against the iron bands that held her to the wall. "Look, do-whatever it is you're going to do-- to me first, okay? Just leave her alone."  
Lady Slipper giggled. "What did I tell you, Narcissus? These Posiverse creatures are so predictable. All this self-sacrifice and concern for one another. It's enough to make one ill." She took the knife from Narcissus' hand, and lightly stroked the tip of the blade across the soft skin at Neptune's throat. She didn't press down hard enough to break the skin, she just traced its point beneath the velvet band of Sailor Neptune's aquamarine choker. Neptune froze, scarcely daring to breathe for fear that the slightest motion might cause the blade to pierce into her neck. Uranus heaved against the constraints at her wrists, jerking at them mightily, but to no avail.  
"Stop it!!" The sandy-haired Senshi demanded furiously. "Leave her alone, or I swear I'm going to "  
"Shut up. One more word and I'll slit her throat from ear to ear. You got that?" Lady Slipper turned to meet Uranus' steely gray eyes. Uranus stopped struggling, recognizing the murderous expression in the Negaverse woman's eyes. She wasn't kidding. Uranus stared at her for a minute, and then gave a sullen, silent nod. She didn't dare answer out loud. Lady Slipper smiled again, alluringly. "That's much better." She turned towards Narcissus. "Now, like I was saying, my dear admiral sometimes the best way to get what you want from these humans is not to threaten them with torture, but to threaten their loved ones with it."  
Narcissus frowned. "That doesn't make any sense to me, Lady Slipper," he mused. "Why on earth would they care what happens to someone else? If they're not the ones feeling the pain, why would they want to give in to us?"  
Lady Slipper shook her head. "I know. Ridiculous, isn't it? But that's the way the Posiverse works twists courage all into pieces and makes you weak. Love. Friendship. Compassion. Mercy." She spit the words out as though they were despised diseases. "These things are the weaknesses of the Posiverse. And these are the things that will inevitably allow us to destroy it."  
Sailor Neptune stared down at Lady Slipper. "That's so sad," she said quietly. Uranus' eyes widened as she stared across the cell at her partner. What on earth was Neptune doing? But she didn't want to risk speaking up and getting her killed. Lady Slipper looked up at Neptune, who was shaking her aqua curls. "How can you live without knowing love and friendship? How can you be happy if you do not believe in compassion and mercy?" She looked up, and Uranus' lips parted as her partner met her eyes, with so many deep emotions playing there that it was making her head spin. Neptune smiled, keeping her gaze on her best friend. "Without those things, life can't possibly be worth living. Without someone to care about, someone who cares about you there is no reason for life at all. And when you do have someone, someone who means something to you, then death is what becomes irrelevant. Mercy and compassion, friendship, love, these are eternal. They are what keep us together in life, in death, and even beyond." Uranus felt her eyes stinging as Neptune continued to look at her. At that moment, Uranus had never been more proud to call the quiet, graceful girl her friend. She closed her eyes with a tiny smile, and gave a small nod. When she opened her eyes again, she could see a tear on Neptune's cheek.  
Lady Slipper, however, remained unmoved. She gave a little snort of amusement. "Pretty speech, Miss Neptune. A shame that it's all a bunch of rot." She withdrew the knife. "Enough of this. Watch closely now, Uranus." Lady Slipper ran a hand over the smooth white flesh of Neptune's forearm, then brought the knife up and slowly drew it along the skin. Sailor Neptune didn't make a sound, but she did close her eyes, and her head lowered a bit. Uranus found herself wincing for the sake of her friend. Lady Slipper was making the cut parallel to any major veins, and she didn't seem to be interested in going very deep a long scarlet line quickly welled up from the cut, and Lady Slipper turned to Narcissus. "Now hand me that stone I gave you." Narcissus reached into his cape and withdrew a small peach-colored rock, which he handed over to Lady Slipper. Uranus wanted to ask what the stone was for, but remembered just in time that she was not to speak. Lady Slipper turned towards Uranus, and held the little rock up for her to see. "I suppose you're wondering what this is. This is a fire opal from Betelgeuse." The name meant less than nothing to Uranus, and Lady Slipper could apparently see the blank look on her face, because she continued. "Betelgeuse is the main star in the Orion constellation All the Sailor Constellations receive their power from stars in their contstellations, and Sailor Orion's power comes from Betelgeuse. All the fire opals from this star possess a sort of aura that Orion draws from. Now, the Silver Dagger will only appear if it is in Orion's presence. Since we don't exactly have her here at the moment -" Lady Slipper giggled, "-I'm afraid we'll just have to improvise." She held the stone up towards Neptune's bleeding arm, and waved it back and forth over the cut a few times. Nothing happened, and Lady Slipper shrugged. "I suppose congratulations are in order, Miss Neptune. You're not the carrier. If the Dagger was in you, your blood would have appeared silver in the presence of this stone." Lady Slipper turned towards Uranus. "Your turn."  
Uranus gritted her teeth as the evil woman and the Negaverse lord walked towards her. Like Neptune, she made no sound as the knife was drawn along her own arm, and the opal was waved over it. Lady Slipper sighed with exaggerated disappointment. "I suppose you're not it, either."  
Narcissus was scowling. "Lady Slipper, why was I not informed about this fire opal thing? I've been sending _jaki_ out all this time to gather blood, and they didn't know what they were looking for."  
Lady Slipper giggled. "Well, my dear admiral, I suppose that means you didn't do your homework very well, hmm?" Narcissus glared at her as the two of them exited the cell. Lady Slipper snapped her fingers again, and the bars materialized once more. At the same time, the iron constraints around the Senshi's wrists also disappeared, and both girls lunged forward a bit to catch their balance. As Narcissus and Lady Slipper prepared to leave, Lady Slipper turned back towards the Soldiers in the cell. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said, her tones saccharine. "I thought you might like to observe your little friends as they travel on their way here to save you." She pointed a finger towards the back wall of their cell, where suddenly a smooth glass TV screen appeared. Uranus and Neptune could see the enormous _jaki_, melting away with the power of Sailor Moon's Healing Escalation. Lady Slipper giggled. "Isn't technology wonderful?" she said. "Well, Narcissus, it looks like they're ready for the next little challenge. You'd better get up there."  
Narcissus nodded and swept from the room. Lady Slipper turned back towards the captive Senshi. "Enjoy the show, girls. Sorry I can't stay duty calls." The two Sailor Senshi scarcely noticed as Lady Slipper left they were too busy staring with horror at the screen as their beloved Princess collapsed into Tuxedo Kamen's arms.

Sailor Moon felt a hand tapping her cheek, and she struggled to open her eyes. Very slowly, the faces of Tuxedo Kamen and the other Senshi came into focus, hovering over her. "What what happened?" she asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.  
"You did it, Sailor Moon. You destroyed that super-_jaki_," Sailor Venus answered. She was swinging her arm experimentally. The Healing Escalation had mended the broken bone, though the muscles were still very tender. Sailor Mars shook her head.  
"You've got some explaining to do, Sailor Moon. What on earth were you doing out there? You could have gotten us all killed!" The Senshi of Fire shook her head in disgust.  
"Hey, take it easy, Mars," Jupiter interjected, putting a hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder. "She's been through a lot in the last few days. Cut her some slack, will you?"  
Sailor Moon shook her head and shrugged Jupiter's hand away. "Mars is right, Sailor Jupiter," she said quietly. "I nearly got all of you killed. Again." The other senshi looked at one another with confusion, and Sailor Moon sighed as she rose to her feet and met Sailor Venus' eyes. "Venus, I'm stepping down."  
"I beg your pardon?" Sailor Venus inquired with a perplexed expression.  
"As leader. I'm stepping down. You've been the leader of the others since we started all this I want you to take my place." The girls stared at Venus in amazement, and the golden Senshi's mouth dropped open.  
"You- you can't be serious, Sailor Moon."  
"I'm very serious." Sailor Moon reached down and pulled her transformation brooch from her fuku. Without the power of the Silver Crystal, she was quickly de-transformed. She held the brooch out towards Venus. "You'll make a much better leader than I ever could."  
Sailor Venus shook her head, stunned. "Usagi, I can't take that. I can't use the Silver Crystal I don't know how. You're the only one with that kind of power. You can't just resign from the Senshi! We need you."  
Tuxedo Kamen put his hand out and took the brooch. "Usako, can I speak with you for a minute?"  
Usagi turned to look up at him, at his gorgeous face lined with concern, and she nodded resignedly. "All right." Still holding the brooch, Tuxedo Kamen led her away from the Altar, towards Haruka's yellow convertible which was still parked near the side of the highway. Sailor Moon followed him to the car, and then leaned up against the side and sighed heavily. For a moment, Tuxedo Kamen was silent, staring at the transformation brooch in his hand. When he finally did speak, his voice was sadder than she'd ever heard it before.  
"Usako, I'm sorry. For what I said to you at my apartment. I didn't mean it."  
Usagi shook her head, her long ponytails brushing her face. "It doesn't matter."  
"Yes, it does!" Tuxedo Kamen snapped suddenly, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to meet his eyes. "It matters. It matters a lot, because I love you, and I never should have spoken to you like that." He dropped his hand and looked away. "Look, Usako, I don't know what's going on with you right now, but it's pretty obvious that something's wrong. I wish you wouldn't hold it all inside."  
Usagi sighed again, tears springing to her eyes for about the billionth time that day. "Mamo-chan, this is just the way things have to be. It doesn't have anything to do with you or the others. This is about me. Me and my stupid, wimpy, crybaby personality. This is about keeping you and Chibiusa and the other Senshi safe from my own weakheartedness."  
Tuxedo Kamen raised an eyebrow. "You? Weakhearted? Usako, what on earth are you talking about? You have the one of the strongest, most loving, compassionate hearts I've ever known."  
"Well, I guess you don't know me as well as you think then." Usagi closed her eyes, and a tear rolled down her face. "I'm a coward, Mamo-chan. Plain and simple. The rest of you you're all soldiers. Not me. I'm a princess. A spoiled little lily-livered princess who doesn't have the guts to protect her friends or even her family. I put all the rest of you in danger. You're all fighting to protect me, and I can't even lift a finger when my own daughter is being killed!" Usagi turned and kicked the tire of the convertible with frustration.  
Tuxedo Kamen's eyes widened behind his mask as he stared down at her. "Is that what all of this is about? You think what happened to Chibiusa was your fault?"  
"It WAS my fault. But that's not the only problem, Mamo-chan." Another tear followed the first. "I'm always like this. I always just stand there and watch the others attacking. I let them fight my battles for me because I don't have the courage to do it myself. Even you I even depend on you to save me in tight spots, and that's not fair to you or any of the others. I can't lead them, Mamo-chan. I can't grow up and become the Neo-Queen and be a good wife and mother and queen and soldier all at the same time. I can't do it because I'm not brave enough." Usagi's eyes were now streaming. "So it's over between us, Mamo-chan. It has to be. I can't be your wife, and I can't be Chibiusa's mother. I don't deserve it."  
The tall young man was quiet for a moment. The next words he spoke completely astonished Usagi. "And I thought I was the only one who felt like that."  
Usagi stared up at him through her tears. "What do you mean?"  
Tuxedo Kamen looked at her tenderly. "It scares me too, sometimes, you know. The idea of being Neo-King of the Earth of being your husband and Chibiusa's father and the Protector of Earth all at once. It's a lot of responsibility, and to be honest I'm really not the most courageous person in the world either. Usako," and here he leaned towards her, "you can't give up now. You're the one who keeps me going, who gives me strength and encouragement. Every time I feel like it's all getting to be too much, I find myself thinking about you and that incredible, infinite love of yours and it gives me a reason to keep fighting. You and Chibiusa both remind me what it is I'm fighting for. You just can't give up what would I do without you?"  
Usagi met his eyes, and the hopelessness he saw there broke his heart. "Then I'm failing you in more ways than one," she said quietly. She reached out and took her brooch from his hand. "All right, Mamo-chan. For your sake and for the sake of the other Senshi, I won't give up on being Sailor Moon just yet. But I'm sorry I still think that you would be better off without me in your life. And I'm certain that Chibiusa would." With that she straightened up and walked away, back towards the Altar of Tears. As she went, she held out the brooch and called out her transformation command.   
Tuxedo Kamen shook his head as he watched his beloved transform back into Sailor Moon. "Have you forgotten, Usako?" he wondered softly under his breath. "Without you, Chibiusa has no life." With another heavy sigh he also straightened and began to walk over to the girls. He thought back on Shinzui's parting words. Everything will be all right, you'll see. He really hoped that she was right. 

Shinzui was restless. She'd been restless all afternoon. If she'd had the strength she would have been pacing back and forth around the carpet at the moment, but her muscles were still too weak. The Neo-Moon Princess was sitting near her bedside, reading out loud from Lousia May Alcott's Eight Cousins. It was one of Shinzui's favorite stories, and she'd asked for it especially because she knew that Chibiusa would probably enjoy it as well. But now she couldn't concentrate on the words. There was a black feeling in the back of her mind. The battle was not going well. Something was wrong, she just knew it. She wondered if it was Usagi from what Mamoru had told her, Usagi was dealing with some pretty intense feelings. The Princess had never been very good at handling powerful negative emotions she was always so full of light and life and love that darker feelings pulled at her in an awful way.   
The things that Shinzui had said to Chibiusa had been true. If Usagi used the full power of her pure Soul, there was no way that Narcissus or Lady Slipper or the Avatar himself for that matter could stand against her. But it was easy to dilute her power by doing things to spark negative emotions, like hurting the other Senshi or her friends or family. And once the negative feelings crept in, her power was tainted and suddenly not as strong. Shinzui knew this. She'd taken advantage of it many times before, in the past, and they were all times she would like to forget. Shinzui sighed inwardly. She wanted to be there! She wanted to be out there with the others, to know what was going on. But she was stuck in this room, in this bed. Remarkable though her healing abilities were, they were certainly not miraculous, and healing from an energy depletion this complete was going to take time.  
Suddenly Shinzui realized that Chibiusa had stopped reading, and she tilted her head towards the child with a smile. "What's the matter, Small Lady?"  
"I I don't know. Suddenly I feel very strange." The Neo-Moon Princess' voice was rather faint, and Shinzui became alarmed.  
"Here, give me your hand," she instructed the little girl. When the small fingers touched her own, Shinzui's sightless eyes flew open. "What on earth" She was receiving the strangest feeling. A sense of weakness, of fading away. And suddenly the child's hand felt a little less than solid in her own.   
"Shinzui-san what's happening to me? I'm disappearing!! I I can see through my arm!!" Chibiusa began to shriek with terror. "Stop it! Please make it stop!!" Shinzui felt the little girl pull her hand away.  
"Small Lady, wait, come here" She tried to sit up again. Though the pain was still there, echoing through every joint and muscle in her body, she found that she was able to accomplish it. She stretched out her hand blindly toward the panicked princess. But though she could hear the girl continuing to scream, she couldn't get her to come back. Shinzui's head came up in relief as she heard her chamber door open, and the welcome voice of Neophilus as he entered the room.  
"What's going on in here Oh, no." The ruby-eyed Guardian stared in trepidation at the Neo-Moon Princess, standing in the center of the room with tears of fright running down her face.  
"She's fading! Something must be happening out there to alter the course of time." This was Centauri's voice, and Shinzui reached out for him. In a moment, she felt his silky head pressing against her hand, and the familiar touch relieved her a bit.  
"Oh, no what if it's Sailor Moon? Or Tuxedo Kamen-sama? What if they're dying? Then I'll disappear. Oh, noooo!!!" The future princess began to wail, as her body blinked in and out of transparency. "I don't want my mommy to die! Guardian Father, you have to do something, please!!"  
"Small Lady!" The wailing suddenly ceased at Shinzui's shout, and the frightened girl turned to stare at the young blind woman sitting in the bed. Shinzui smiled as sweetly as she could. "Now listen to me, Small Lady. The Prince and Princess are not dead. If they were, I would know. But Centauri's right something is going on out there that is altering the future. And that settles it. I'm going to help them."  
"You are not." This was Guardian Brother's voice, and Shinzui tilted her head as she heard the other two Guardians enter the room. She lifted an eyebrow.  
"You cannot stop me, Demetrius. If Narcissus is changing the timeline, there is no choice. I must go after them."  
"But Child, you are still far too weak," Oberon protested in his customary whisper. "You cannot even stand up on your own how do you expect to be able to fight in your condition?"  
A small smile appeared on the blind girl's face, and she held up the arm which bore her golden bracelet. The Orion Fire Opal, set into the bracelet, sparkled in the light. "Well, there's one way I can think of and it would scare the pants off of Narcissus, let me tell you."  
Centauri nipped at her hand, not hard, but enough to make a definite impression. "That's not funny, Shinzui," he declared firmly. "Don't even joke about that. You wouldn't dare."  
"I would dare, if it was the only way," Shinzui responded, her voice equally firm. "However, we may not have to resort to that. I think I can gather sufficient strength from you three Guardians to at least regain a portion of my energy. And then I'll just have to be careful not to spend it all in one place."  
Guardian Father was shaking his head. "This is foolishness, Child. You will get yourself killed. We Guardians do not want to have any part in that."  
Shinzui tilted her head to the side. "Neophilus, I am going out there. Now you can either help me, or," and she held up the bracelet again, "I will do it myself. But I am going."  
Guardian Friend shook his head, and sighed. He met the eyes of the other two, before turning back towards Shinzui and nodding resignedly. "Very well, Child. We will help you."  
Shinzui grinned. "That's better. Now, I think I have enough energy to summon the Music Sphere that will help." She closed her vacant eyes and concentrated, and after a moment the Sphere appeared before her, humming softly. Shinzui let out a deep breath. "All right," she said, doing her best not to let on how much strength that small action had cost her, "are you ready?"  
"Child, you realize that we cannot completely restore your strength. To pour that much energy into you all at once would cause irreparable damage to your human body." Shinzui nodded at Guardian Father.  
"I understand that, Neophilus," she responded quietly. "Just do what you can and I'll make do with it." She held out the bracelet again, towards the hovering Music Sphere, and sang softly. "Heavenly Symphony!" The sweet melody of the Sphere filled the room, and after a moment Shinzui began to sing with it, keeping her sightless eyes closed. As she sang, she concentrated on drawing power from her three Guardians, on opening herself to the energy they were offering. Each one of the Guardians extended a hand, and as the music played, three beams of colored light shot from their fingertips: red, blue and purple. The light converged at a point in the center of the room, where it became one single beam of white power. This stream then flowed towards Shinzui's forehead, where her Orion symbol began to glow.   
_ "My soul was once darkness, my soul she did save  
And I have been rescued from a living grave  
All life that is in me belongs to my friends  
I will give it up freely before theirs will end _

_ Give me strength, give me power  
Lend me what I need  
I open my soul to be filled  
Here's my heart, here's my spirit  
Allow them to bleed  
They will soon find that I'm not so easy to kill_

_ A reason for living, a reason to die  
The source of the heartbeat that drives you and I  
I don't think it's pointless to want something more   
For I have learned some things are worth dying for_

_ Give me strength, give me power  
Lend me what I need  
I open my soul to be filled  
Here's my heart, here's my spirit   
Allow them to bleed  
They will soon find that I'm not so easy to kill  
They will soon find that I'm not so easy to kill."_

Shinzui opened her eyes as the song ended, and blinked them a few times. She had her sight back, which meant-she looked down-yes, she was in Senshi form now. She felt a new energy, a new strength coursing through her veins as she rose to her feet. She was still a little stiff and sore, but she finally had control over her own muscles again, and she nodded with satisfaction. "Good," she declared.   
Then her silvery eyes came to rest on the small, scared face of the Neo-Moon Princess. Orion could see now what had terrified the child so much. Her skin was indeed becoming transparent, pulsing a bit as though it couldn't decide whether she still existed or not. Sailor Orion smiled down at little girl. "Don't you worry, Small Lady," she said to her. "I'm going to take care of this. I'll find the Princess and the others, and make sure they're all safe. You stay here with Guardian Father, all right?"   
Normally the little girl would have protested being left behind once again, but she was too worried at this point to care. Her main concern right now was that she didn't just go out like a candle and so she nodded anxiously. Orion moved over to her, kneeled down, and gave the less-than-solid child a hug. "It's going to be all right now," she assured her. The Sacrificial Soldier stood again, and gave a nod of gratitude to the Guardians, and then with Centauri at her heels she strode for the door.  
"Child?" Orion turned back to see Demetrius take a step forward, his brilliant sapphire eyes filled with concern. "Be careful," he admonished softly.  
Orion held his gaze for a moment, and then with another nod and small smile, she spun on her heel and was gone.

[Back to Part Seventeen][2]  
[On to Part Nineteen][3]  
[Back to the Library][4]  
[Back to the Refuge][5]

   [1]: fireopals.mid
   [2]: fanfic17.htm
   [3]: fanfic19.htm
   [4]: library.htm
   [5]: SailorOrion.htm



	19. The challenge of the Doomsday Gate! Narc...

[Click here to listen to the Part Nineteen soundtrack while you read!][1]

Part Nineteen: The challenge of the Doomsday Gate! Narcissus collects the Senshi

"What is this place?" Mars muttered as the Senshi stared about them in confusion. They'd entered the gaping aperture atop the Altar, and as they all materialized inside, they couldn't help their small gasps and mutters of amazement.   
"I don't know what I expected from a gate between two universes," Sailor Venus tossed in, "but this certainly isn't it."  
The Sailor Senshi found themselves standing on a beach; a long, endless expanse of golden sand that stretched out farther than any of them could see on either side. About six feet in front of them, the brilliant turquoise waves met the sand, lapping gently back and forth, crested with lacy white foam. And far, far ahead, where the horizon met the water, the entire sky looked as if it had been lit on fire with the dazzling array of colors of a spectacular sunset. It was absolutely breathtaking. But there was something almost creepy about it.   
Jupiter shook her head. "I don't like it," she declared in a low voice. "It's too perfect. There's something weird going on."  
"My computer and VR goggles aren't working," Mercury announced, folding the top of her mini-computer down and tucking it away. "There must be some highly potent negative energy here if it can block the scanning. We should all be very careful."  
Sailor Pluto took a step forward, her garnet eyes scanning the horizon with concern. "This all seems very familiar, somehow. I feel like I ought to know this place. I've been here before, I'm sure of it."  
"Once again, welcome to the Doomsday Gate, Sailor brats." All the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen spun about to see Lord Narcissus striding down the sand towards them. At the sight of the caped admiral, Sailor Moon's hands balled into fists.  
"Where are Uranus and Neptune?" she demanded, stepping forward. Tuxedo Kamen put a hand on her arm to prevent her from going too close to the Negaverse lord. They were, after all, in his territory now.  
Lord Narcissus chuckled. "All in good time, Miss Moon. You have my word, you'll all be seeing your little friends soon." He smiled deviously. "That is, of course, if you can prove yourselves worthy. We have a few little tests you'll have to pass first."  
"What sort of tests, Narcissus?" Tuxedo Kamen questioned quietly from behind Sailor Moon's shoulder.  
"Oh, just a few little things we've put together especially for you. I wanted your first visit to the Doomsday Gate to be an educational and entertaining experience, you know. You want to see your friends? Well, I'll tell you this much. They're down there." He waved one lavender-suited arm behind him, and when he'd stepped aside, they could all see a giant slab of stone rising out of the sand. There was something carved on its surface, but they were too far away to read it at the moment. Lord Narcissus cocked a pale purple eyebrow. "The first test is the test of Mind," he grinned. "Have fun." And with that, he shimmered out of view like a mirage.  
"Wait!" Sailor Jupiter called, running forward, but it was too late and Narcissus had vanished. Jupiter sighed. "Well, now what?" she wondered aloud.  
The others moved to join her. "Now I guess we take Narcissus' test," Venus replied, and they all turned to stare at the wide expanse of stone that had just appeared on the beach. As they approached it, they could see that there was an inscription at the top, and that beneath it was a raised series of buttons. Mercury reached the stone first, and read the inscription out loud.  
_ "My First is the beginning of a Tree  
My Second centers Cordially  
My Third makes the first half of Me  
My Last twice ends a Jubilee  
And I am the fabric of Eternity  
Who am I?"_  
Mercury shook her short blue locks as she gazed at the poem again. She realized that each of the small buttons beneath had a letter carved on it, similar to her computer's keypad. "It's a riddle," she said to the others. "We figure out the answer, punch it in, and this slab will open."  
"Kind of like a combination lock," Sailor Mars suggested, and Mercury nodded.  
"That's right. Normally I would just type the riddle into my computer and run analyses until it came up with the answer, but my computer's not working here. Which means we're going to have to do this the hard way, I suppose." The blue-haired Senshi sighed as she squinted again at the carved words.  
"Well, I know the first one," Jupiter jumped in. "I mean, that part about 'the beginning of a Tree' that's a seed, right?"  
"Hey, that's right," Sailor Venus exclaimed. "Way to go, Jupiter!"  
But Sailor Mercury was frowning. "You might be right, Sailor Jupiter. It could be a seed. But it could also be a flower, fruit, or cone since all of those things carry seeds. We have to keep every possibility in mind. Does anyone have a piece of paper and a pencil?" The Senshi looked at one another blankly, and she shook her head. "Never mind." She knelt down and began to write in the sand with her finger. "All right. We have 'seed', 'flower', 'fruit', and 'cone'. I think we should add 'roots' to that, because speaking structurally the beginning of a tree is at the root. All right, any other ideas?" The others were silent, and Mercury nodded. "Okay, so we move on to the second part. 'My Second centers Cordially.'" She frowned. "Even I'm stumped on this one. Do any of you have a suggestion?"  
The others shook their heads. "That doesn't make any sense, Mercury," Mars complained. "I mean, it centers WHAT cordially? How can you center something cordially? It's just silly."  
Sailor Moon turned towards Pluto, who had a funny, far off expression on her face. "Pluto, what is it?" she wanted to know. The Revolutionary Soldier turned to meet her eyes with a vague expression.  
"That last part about the fabric of Eternity I used to know this riddle. I know I did." She shook her head, her dark green hair brushing her face. "But I can't remember. It's been too long I wish Orion was here. She'd know."  
At the mention of their invalid friend, the Senshi were all quiet for a moment. Sailor Pluto took another deep breath and gazed out over the glittering water, towards the skyline. It was so familiar-- those colors, the sound of the waves, the noticeable absence of sea-birds, crabs, shells and seaweed; she knew she'd been here before. She ought to know this place. _The fabric of Eternity_. Eternity. Eternity   
"The oceans of Eternity upon the shores of Time." Pluto's eyes widened as Orion's voice seemed to whisper in her ear, and she spun around. There was no one there.  
"Pluto? Is everything all right?" Tuxedo Kamen asked with concern.   
"Yes yes, it is. I just remembered something," she answered as she recovered herself. "I remember-- where I've seen this place before." She turned towards Mercury. "The fabric of Eternity. I remember now this place is the ocean of Eternity, which laps away at the shores of Time. That's what the fabric of Eternity is, Mercury, it's Time. I think no, I'm certain, that the answer to the riddle is 'Time.'"  
Jupiter frowned. "But what does that have to do with the beginnings of a tree?" she wanted to know. "And that 'centers Cordially' and 'first half of Me' and all that other stuff?"   
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Mercury interrupted suddenly, a new light appearing in her eyes. She reached down with her hand and smoothed out the sand she'd written in before. Then, carefully, she spelled out the word TIME in big, sweeping strokes. "All right, now, just for the sake of argument, let's say that Pluto is right and Time is the answer. Now, suppose that the first four lines of the riddle aren't referring to things or objects, but to letters."  
"Huh?" Mars interjected with a puzzled look. "I don't get it what do you mean?"  
"Well, like the first line. 'My first is the beginning of a Tree.' If we're dealing with letters, then what letter begins the word 'Tree?'" She used her finger to circle the 'T' that had been traced in front of her. "Right?" Then she looked up at her friends, who were beginning to catch on. "All right, so that's the first letter. Now. 'My second centers Cordially.'" She spelled out the word 'cordially' into the sand, a little ways below the huge word TIME with its first letter circled. "Okay, there are nine letters here, an odd number, which means that one letter is the center of the word, right? So we count in from each side, one, two, three, four" Mercury moved her fingers one letter at a time towards the middle of the word, until at last both fingers were poised under the central letter.  
Sailor Moon's eyes widened. "It's an 'I!'" she exclaimed. "The letter 'I' centers the word cordially!"  
Mercury nodded, and with a flourish she circled the capital 'I' in the word TIME. "So that's two."  
"Wait, I get it," Sailor Jupiter broke in. "So when it says 'My Third is the first half of Me,' it's talking about the letters in the word 'Me.' But Me is only a two-letter word, so half of it would be just one letter. The 'first half' would be the very first letter of the word, which is an 'M'. So the third letter is 'M', right?"  
Mercury smiled up at her. "That's right, Jupiter. Very good." And she circled the capital 'M' in front of her. "Which leaves the very last letter, 'E'. And 'E' just so happens to end the word Jubilee twice." The last letter of TIME was also circled then, and Mercury straightened up and beamed at Sailor Pluto. "You did it, Pluto, you solved the riddle. Time is the answer."  
Sailor Pluto smiled a bit in acknowledgement, but she tilted her head to the side. "There's only one way to find out," she pointed out quietly, and Mercury nodded back at her. Bending over, the blue-clad soldier pressed the lettered buttons.   
"T. I. M. E," she pronounced out loud as each button was depressed carefully. As her finger released the final button, the words of the inscription began to glow with a bright light. For a moment, none of them could see anything, as the intense brightness swept over them. Despite Sailor Moon's determination to distance herself from Tuxedo Kamen, she couldn't help but be grateful for the strong, reassuring presence of his hand on her shoulder. All the Sailor Senshi covered their eyes, shielding them from the powerful light.  
But as the light slowly faded, they were delighted to find that the heavy stone slab had disappeared, leaving behind a rectangular opening from which they could see a flight of steps descending downwards. That was where Narcissus had told them Uranus and Neptune were... they'd passed the test!  
"The riddle-thing vanished," Sailor Jupiter breathed in astonishment.   
"Uh, Jupiter that's not the only thing that's gone," Sailor Mars suddenly pointed out. The Sailor Senshi looked at one another in alarm, realizing that it was true somehow, during that flash of blinding light, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Pluto had also disappeared.   
Sailor Moon's large blue eyes widened with worry as she realized that her friends were missing. "Mercury? Pluto!!" She turned around, scanning up and down the beach, even peering down into the open stairway that had appeared before them. But there was no sign of either of them. "Pluto! Mercury, can you hear me?"  
"Congratulations, Sailor brats. The test of Mind is complete." The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen looked up as Lord Narcissus materialized in front of them.  
"Where are Sailor Pluto and Sailor Mercury?" Jupiter demanded. "What did you do with them?"  
Lord Narcissus smiled coldly. "Why, they passed the test, my dear girl. And now it's time for the next one."  
Sailor Moon felt a chill run down her spine. "Where are they?" she asked in a near whimper.  
The Negaverse admiral fixed his icy gaze on her. "They're waiting for you. Down there." He pointed in the direction of the steps. "So go after them, if you dare and face the test of Body." An instant later, Narcissus was gone. Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen found themselves staring down a long flight of stone steps, swallowed up in darkness so that they could not even see the base.  
"Well, come on then," Sailor Jupiter declared, and moved forward to begin the descent. "You heard what he said. Test Number Two, here we come!"

"Oof!" Mercury landed hard on the stone floor, and rubbed her smarting behind ruefully.  
"Are you all right, pretty girl?"  
Mercury's blue eyes flew wide at the sound of the familiar rich voice, and she looked up into the grinning face hovering over her own. "Uranus! And Sailor Neptune!" She turned to see Pluto nearby, who was also picking herself up off the cold stone. "But where are the others?"  
Sailor Neptune shook her head and pointed at the smooth glass screen set into the wall. Mercury and Pluto could see the other Senshi as they disappeared down the steps that led them to Narcissus' next test. "They're still out there," Neptune replied. "We can watch them, but we can't help."  
Uranus held out her hand and helped Mercury rise to her feet. "We watched you and Pluto solve that puzzle," she said. "Very well done."  
But Sailor Mercury shook her head as she gazed around them, taking in the hard, solid stone walls and the bars that blocked off the end of the cell. "I don't understand," she muttered. "If we passed the test, then why did we end up in here?"  
Neptune sighed. "Narcissus is only playing with us, Mercury. It's not us he wants."  
"He wants Sailor Moon," Pluto concluded in her smooth, timeless voice.  
Sailor Uranus shook her head, her one golden earring swinging. "No, actually, she's not his main target. What he really wants is Sailor Orion. He thinks he's going to lure her here by capturing all of us."  
Sailor Mercury raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's just silly. Orion doesn't even have the energy to stand up how on earth is she going to make it all the way here?"  
"I wouldn't put it past her." This came from Sailor Pluto, whose tone was thoughtful. "I know Orion's loyalty to Sailor Moon and the other Senshi. She has this connection with all of us that's difficult to describe. As soon as she senses that we're in danger, she'll find a way to get here. I'm sure of it."  
But Neptune sighed. "If Orion really does come, it would be plain foolishness. Weakened as she is, she's not going to be able to help Sailor Moon much. Narcissus will get exactly what he wants all the Senshi in his pocket. All he'll have to do is line us up firing-squad style and aim that Soul Dissolver of his."  
"Not if I can help it," Uranus growled, rising to her feet and looking at the screen again. "He'd just better shoot me first."  
Neptune giggled gently and put a hand on her partner's shoulder. "Don't worry, Uranus. None of us are giving up yet. He may be able to defeat the rest of us, but he'll never overpower Sailor Moon."  
The other three girls nodded in agreement. It was true. They all knew their leader had more power in her pinkie finger than Narcissus and all his _jaki_ put together. Together, the captured Sailor soldiers turned towards the viewscreen in the back of their cell to watch as the rest of their friends continued their journey through the Gate.

Sailor Jupiter gazed at the sheer rock face in front of them with an almost delighted grin. "Now this is what I call a test!" she exclaimed cheerfully. The others looked at one another with a bit more trepidation.   
Directly in front of them, a heavy iron door was set into the rock face. The door was locked, with a prominent keyhole visible. Looking far, far above them, they could see what appeared to be a large iron key, embedded into the rock at least twenty feet off the ground. The smooth iron ring of the key jutted out of the rock towards them. There was a rope, coiled neatly, lying nearby. The only light came from a series of torches that had been drilled into the sheer rock at intervals.  
Sailor Moon shook her head. "Jupiter, this is impossible. How are we supposed to get up there and get that key? There's no place to tie the rope there's nothing to tie it to."  
Tuxedo Kamen stepped forward, eyeing the rocks before them thoughtfully. "I took a rock-climbing course in the university," he mused. "I think I could make it up there."  
"And then what?" Sailor Mars wanted to know. "That key is totally embedded up there. We'd need a hammer and chisel in order to pound it out, and to do that you'd need two free hands. Without anything to tie the rope to"  
"I've got a better idea." They all turned to look at Sailor Jupiter. "Tuxedo Kamen, you stay down here. Venus, hand me the rope, will you?"  
Sailor Venus frowned with confusion, but picked the coil of rope up and handed it over to Jupiter. The green-clad Senshi surveyed the rope carefully and tugged at it a little, then nodded in satisfaction. "All right," she said, and she looped the whole coil over her head and one shoulder, which allowed her to carry it while leaving both hands free. Then she looked up at the ring of the key, some twenty feet over her head. Jupiter rubbed her hands together. "Okay, here goes nothing," she declared, and reached up for a good handhold. Before the others had the chance to call her back, she was climbing.  
"Is she crazy?" Sailor Venus mumbled under her breath as their friend slowly and carefully ascended the rocks. "What's she going to do when she gets up there? There's no way to pull that key out."  
Sailor Moon watched Jupiter climb, and she held her breath. There was another flash of guilt as she realized that once again she was allowing her friends to do all the hard work. She resolved that the next test, whatever it was she was going to carry her own weight. Suddenly, she heard Tuxedo Kamen's low voice in her ear.  
"Sailor Moon I know you probably don't want to talk about this right now, and I know it's probably the wrong time but I need to know that everything is going to be all right between us."  
She turned to look up at him. She knew what he meant, and he was right, she didn't want to talk about it right now. Right now all she wanted to do was to find their friends and get out of here. But one look into those beautiful, worried blue eyes and she couldn't help responding. "Of course everything is all right," she responded. "Just because nothing is the same doesn't mean it can't be all right." She did her best to make her voice ring with a confidence she did not feel.  
"Yes, it does, Sailor Moon, and you know it. If you're not with me, then nothing can ever be right again." His voice caught a little and he had to pause before he could continue. "I love you, Sailor Moon. Just the way you are, for everything that you are. And I think you still love me too. I don't see how you can turn your back on me, and on Chibiusa."  
Sailor Moon shook her head. "You're both so much better off without me."  
"Why don't you let me decide whom I'm better off with?" Tuxedo Kamen prodded gently. "And even if it WERE true for me, it couldn't be true for Chibiusa. Don't you understand? She can't be 'better off' without you. Without you, she doesn't even exist. You're her mother, remember?"  
Sailor Moon's eyes filled with tears. "I'm not a mother, Tuxedo Kamen. A mother would have stood up and defended her child from Narcissus. A mother wouldn't let her child dress up in a soldier's uniform and fight evil creatures ten times her size. A mother wouldn't steal her own child's snacks." This anticlimactic statement brought a hint of a smile to Tuxedo Kamen's lips, and the petite Sailor leader sniffled a little. "I don't deserve to be her mother. I'm just going to get her killed."   
The young caped man sighed, and reached forward to wipe the tears away from her eyes. "Sailor Moon, listen to me. If you do this if you choose to stay away from me, then Chibiusa will never be born. And if she's never born, she's going to cease to exist. Is that what you want?"  
"Maybe things would be better that way."  
"You don't mean that." He stared at her in surprise.  
But Sailor Moon nodded. "Yes. I do mean it. Maybe it's better if Chibiusa didn't ever exist I mean, I couldn't hurt her then, could I?"  
Tuxedo Kamen just stared at her, uncertain of what to say to this. But before he could think of anything appropriate, he heard Sailor Jupiter calling his name, and he looked up.  
Jupiter had made it all the way up the steep rocky wall to the key. She found a handhold deep enough that she could grip it firmly, and then painstakingly she used the other hand to remove the rope from her shoulder. Carefully, still gripping at the rock, she threaded one end of the rope through the iron ring of the key embedded into the stony surface.   
Just as her fingers left the ring, however, the tiny ledge upon which her right foot was resting crumbled away from the weight upon it, and Jupiter slipped. Venus let out a scream as the small party below watched their friend scrabble for a new handhold and they all sighed with relief as Jupiter took hold of the ropes looped through the ring of the key and caught her balance. Sailor Jupiter breathed a little sigh of relief, but she also realized that by pulling on the ropes, the key had come loose a bit from the rocks. _That's it_, she realized. _But I need a new handhold first _She looked above her as the key wobbled again. The rock was smooth and angled inwards for at least a foot above the key. She could see a wedge higher up that would be just right, but she couldn't reach that high, and there were no more good foot-holds to help her up. She found herself wishing that Sailor Orion was here. With Orion's impossibly long legs and arms, she'd have been able to help.  
"It's all right, Jupiter. You can do it." The Senshi of Electricity's eyes widened as the whisper sounded very close to her ear. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn that Orion really was right there with her she closed her eyes and shook her head for a moment to clear it. That was weird, she thought to herself. The key that was bearing much of her weight wobbled again, and she realized that she didn't have a choice. She had to try for that wedge, or she'd fall. Jupiter took a deep breath, tightened her hold with her other hand, and then released the ropes, stretching upwards towards the wedge. Her hand went up, and she pressed with her foot against the protruding rock in order to gain more height. _I'm not going to make it_  
Suddenly she was startled by the feel of a hand on her own, and the feeling of being pulled upwards. The next thing she knew, her fingers had found the wedge and were hanging on she was safe now. With a good, firm grip like this, she'd be able to hang around up here for a good long time. Jupiter turned her head to see who it was who had taken her hand and helped her up those last few inches, but there was no one there. _Really weird._ Looking down, Sailor Jupiter could see Tuxedo Kamen, apparently engrossed in a conversation with Sailor Moon. "Tuxedo Kamen!" she called down to him, and he looked up at her. "The key it's loose now. Take the ropes and pull on them-- I think you can pull it out."  
Tuxedo Kamen nodded and stepped forward to take the two ends of the rope, which were now dangling from the key ring. He tugged a little at them, but nothing much happened, so he wrapped one end around his arm several times, and yanked at the other end as hard as he could.  
"It's working!" Jupiter called down. "I saw it move! Try again!!"  
The masked man nodded and pulled again, this time throwing his full body weight backwards against the ropes. The key trembled a bit. He repeated the action a second time, and then with the third mighty heave the key came loose from the rock face with a resounding clang and another blinding flash of bright light. For a moment, everything went white.

"OUCH! Hey!!" Sailor Jupiter protested as she landed hard on cold stone. "What the-- "   
"Welcome to the party, Jupiter," came the gentle, smiling response, and Jupiter looked up to see Sailor Mercury bending over her.   
"Mercury!" She then noticed the other three Senshi behind her friend, and her green eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Uranus and Neptune?! And Sailor Pluto. How on earth" She rose to her feet unsteadily, and realized that Tuxedo Kamen was next to her on the stone floor. Swiftly she gazed around them, taking in the details of the small holding cell that Narcissus seemed to be dumping all of them into.  
Tuxedo Kamen also stood, shaking his cape out. He gave a low whistle when he realized that Uranus and Neptune were there with them. "So this is where you two have been hiding," he teased mildly. "We've had quite a time trying to find you." Then he took another look around and frowned. "Where's Sailor Moon and the others?" he wanted to know.  
Uranus jerked a thumb towards the back of the cell, where the two newcomers noticed the smooth glass television screen for the first time. They could see Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus. The three girls were staring at one another in confusion as the bright light faded away and they discovered their missing friends. "They're still out there," she informed them unnecessarily. "I guess Narcissus hasn't had enough fun with them yet."   
Neptune shook her head, then turned to Jupiter. "We were watching you climb those rocks," she said with an approving smile. "That was well done. And those rocks giving way-- Mercury here nearly jumped out of her skin."  
Sailor Uranus lifted an eyebrow at her partner. "As I recall, Neptune, you looked a bit pale yourself." The aquamarine-clad soldier blushed a little, and Uranus grinned. "But she's right, that was a great climb," she asserted, turning towards Jupiter. "Couldn't have done it better myself." And she raised an arm to give Jupiter a high-five.  
Sailor Pluto stepped forward as Jupiter enthusiastically smacked hands with Uranus, and she caught the tall blond Senshi's elbow. "What's this?" she wanted to know, indicating the long, straight cut on the underside of her upper arm. "It's too straight and smooth to be a scratch. This was made with a knife."  
Uranus nodded with a little surprise. "Well, yes, it was. Neptune has one too, courtesy of Lord Narcissus and that Lady-Slipper friend of his."  
"What Lady-Slipper friend?" Tuxedo Kamen wanted to know. Uranus and Neptune looked at one another and nodded, and Sailor Neptune turned towards the others.  
"All right, then, we've got a few things we probably ought to tell you"

Sailor Venus stared. "I don't believe this. First Mercury and Pluto, now Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen! I mean, what's going on?"  
"I guess they must have passed the 'test of Body' or whatever it was that Narcissus called it," Mars responded wryly, bending over to pick up the iron key which had been left in the dust at her feet. "So now what?"  
The two girls turned to look expectantly at Sailor Moon, whose face was white as a sheet. The Sailor leader shook her head. "They're gone. They're gone too. I didn't tell him" Her voice was dazed, and Sailor Mars frowned.  
"Tell him what?" she demanded.  
"That I love him." The words were out before Sailor Moon realized what she was saying, and Mars' violet eyes immediately softened. She reached out and put a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.   
"Hey, it's all right, Sailor Moon. He knows." The Senshi of Fire patted her shoulder soothingly.  
"That's right," Venus added, moving to Sailor Moon's other side and taking her hand. "I'm sure Tuxedo Kamen knows how you feel."  
Sailor Moon's still-wet blue eyes shimmered even brighter as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her friends meant well, but they didn't understand. She didn't have the opportunity to respond, though, because Mars was pressing the iron key into her hand. "Come on, Sailor Moon. We're going to go find him, and all the others, too." Sailor Moon looked down at the smooth, hard metal lying in her gloved hand, and she nodded. Straightening her shoulders, she marched forward and put the key into the lock of the heavy door. She turned it until they heard a satisfying click, and then the door swung slowly out towards them.   
Sailor ChibiMoon was standing in the doorway. "Hi, guys!"  
Sailor Moon let out a little shriek of surprise and shock, and would have fainted dead away if a sudden recollection hadn't brought her to her senses. She seized the little girl's shoulders and shook her. "ChibiMoon! What are you doing here? I told you to stay at home. I left you there on purpose so you wouldn't get hurt. How did you get here? What do you think you're doing? You'd better start talking right now or I'll--"  
"Sailor Moon, calm down! How's she supposed to answer you when you're shaking the teeth right out of her head?" Mars declared firmly, reaching out to remove her leader's hands from the child's shoulders. But then she herself took the pink-haired Senshi and began to shake her, even harder than Sailor Moon had. "Why did you come? You're not supposed to be here!"  
Sailor Venus finally stepped in and pulled ChibiMoon away. "That's enough!" she cried. "Really, you two"  
It took Sailor ChibiMoon a moment to regain her senses, but then in true ChibiMoon fashion she stuck her tongue out at both of the other girls. "I came because there's no way I was going to stay at home and let you guys have all the fun," she snapped defiantly. "Besides, Narcissus thinks I'm dead thanks to you, Sailor Moon, so when I snuck in here he didn't even notice me. Look, while the rest of you have been playing around out here, I've already been to the dungeon where he's got Uranus and Neptune and now all the others. But I'm not tall enough to reach the key so I had to come get you."  
Sailor Mars' eyes widened. "You've seen Uranus and Neptune? Are they all right?"  
The littlest Senshi nodded. "Yeah, they're fine, but they really want to get out of here. I can take you to them. Come on."  
Mars and Venus exchanged glances and shrugged. Then they turned to Sailor Moon, who had gone disturbingly pale again. ChibiMoon was already disappearing through the doorway and down a long stone corridor. The three older girls began to follow.   
After a moment, Sailor Moon hurried ahead to catch up with ChibiMoon. "Uh, ChibiMoon, can I ask you something?" she said a little timidly.  
The russet eyes looked up at her sharply. "Sure."  
"Um" Sailor Moon looked down and fiddled with her brooch a bit. "I was just wondering. What did you mean when you said that Narcissus thinks you're dead 'thanks to me?' I mean, the 'thanks to me' bit What did you mean by that?"  
Sailor ChibiMoon rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. He shoots me with the Soul Dissolver, and you of all people, my own mother, just stands there like a bump on a log."  
Sailor Venus, who had overheard this, gave a little gasp of indignation. "ChibiMoon! Don't say that! That's not the way it happened!"  
But Sailor Moon shook her head sadly. "Don't argue with her, Venus. That's exactly the way it happened."  
"You got that right," ChibiMoon affirmed with a self-important nod. "Some mother you are, Sailor Moon. I was just lucky that Orion knew what to do, or I'd really have been a goner. But don't worry about it, because I won't hold it against you. I'll still save your behind along with all the other Senshi."  
Sailor Moon's head lowered and her chin began to tremble. She deserved ChibiMoon's disdain. Everything she'd said was true. She HAD just stood there, useless as a bump on a log, while Narcissus attacked her. And here ChibiMoon was, helping her out after everything she'd done. She didn't deserve to be called ChibiMoon's mother.  
Sailor Mars reached out and seized ChibiMoon's arm, and shook her roughly. "What's the matter with you?" she demanded. "I know Sailor Moon may not always be the most exemplary of leaders, but she does try! What happened to you was not her fault and you know it. What are you saying all that stuff for?"  
"Let her go, Mars, she has every right to--"  
"She does not," Venus interrupted Sailor Moon, also glaring down at the little girl. "I think you ought to apologize, ChibiMoon."  
Sailor ChibiMoon shook her head defiantly. "No way! I'm not apologizing for telling the truth. She ought to be ashamed of what she did of what a little crybaby she is. She is no leader. You'd make a better leader, Sailor Venus. You should have taken Sailor Moon's offer."  
Venus' eyes widened and she dropped back a step. "What did you say?"  
Mars scrutinized the child she was holding carefully. Something wasn't quite right about all this. Something about the coldness in the russet eyes, the pure nastiness in her voice it didn't seem to fit. And then there was a whisper in her ear. "Mars. That's not ChibiMoon." Mars' violet eyes flew open and she twisted around to see who it was that had just spoken. She knew that silvery tinkling voice! But there was no one there. She turned back just in time to hear the little girl speaking again.  
"Venus, you're so much prettier and braver than Sailor Moon. You really ought to be the leader. Why not just take her locket from her and send her home? She'll be safer there anyway, and she won't be putting any of the rest of you in danger."  
Sailor Mars gaped at Venus. "Venus, don't listen to her, something's really wrong here" But the golden-clad Senshi had an odd look on her face as she locked eyes with the pink-haired child.  
Dreamily Venus stroked one of the pink ponytails. "You really think I'm prettier?" she mused.  
Mars couldn't believe it. "Venus!!" But then the child, who Mars was certain now was definitely NOT Sailor ChibiMoon, turned and fastened those large russet colored eyes on her, and Mars suddenly felt her own will going a bit soft.  
"Sailor Mars, you're so much smarter and more sophisticated than Sailor Moon would ever be. You would make a much better girlfriend for Mamoru, don't you think? A man like that needs a real woman, not a clumsy little girl like Usagi. He needs someone who can take care of him, not someone to baby-sit. Come on, now. Just take Sailor Moon's locket, give it to Venus, and send her home. The two of you can take care of the rest of the Senshi so much better." The russet in the eyes was flickering now, into a decidedly darker shade, and the flickering was nearly hypnotic. The little girl turned towards Sailor Moon now. "And you, Sailor Moon. Can't you see you're nothing more than a weak, scared little girl dressed up in a _fuku_ playing the heroine? Come on, you know you don't have what it takes. Give up. Let them take care of it. Go home, take a nap, play some video games, and leave the real fighting to the real soldiers."  
Sailor Moon wasn't even looking at the child. She didn't need to meet her eyes to know the truth of her words. The Sailor leader nodded slowly, a tear trickling down over the bridge of her nose, and she reached for her locket. Sailor Venus held her hand out, palm up, ready to receive it. Mars watched. Yes. This was good. This was right. It was then that the voice came back, whispering in her ear a little more insistently now, snapping her from her trance. "Mars! That is not ChibiMoon!!" And Mars recovered herself right away. She straightened up and looked down at the child, who was wearing an unearthly wicked grin as Sailor Moon prepared to detransform right then and there.  
"Listen, you little maggot, I don't know who or what you are, but you're not Sailor ChibiMoon." Mars reached out and grabbed Venus' outstretched hand. "Venus, listen to me. That thing is not ChibiMoon. Don't listen to it."   
Sailor Venus' unfocused blue eyes slowly began to clear at the touch of Mars' hand, and she blinked a few times as though waking up from a dream. She met Mars' gaze, and then looked down at the ChibiMoon-impersonator, and she frowned. "Hey," she cried, reaching out and grabbing the child's arm. "Who are you, huh? Just what are you trying to do here?"  
Sailor Moon looked up. "Venus, Mars, don't. She's right Here, just take my locket--"   
"You keep that locket on your _fuku_ where it belongs," Mars barked back at her. "I'm going to take care of this little Senshi impostor right now."  
"No!" Sailor Moon tried to step in between them, but Sailor Venus grabbed her and held her back.  
"Sorry about this, Sailor Moon, but I agree with Mars. That thing, whatever it is, has got to go."  
The imitation ChibiMoon smirked at Mars. "What do you think you're going to do?" she demanded imperiously. "Your powers don't work in here."  
"I don't need them," Mars grinned right back. "I've got one little trick that works against evil no matter where we are." And she produced one of her handy _ofuda_s. Before the ChibiMoon impersonator could move, she held the long strip of white paper with the sacred Japanese symbols up and began to chant, "_AKU! RYO! TAI! SAN! _" The _ofuda _sang through the air, striking the pink-haired impostor right between the eyes. There was the distinct sound of a jaki hissing, as the evil spirit disguised as ChibiMoon was melted away by the power of the cleansing chant and symbols and then there was another explosion of white light.   
Sailor Moon threw her hands up to shield her eyes from the brightness, and when it had faded, she was alone. Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus had both vanished, just like the others, and with a sinking heart Sailor Moon realized that they'd been right. ChibiMoon hadn't really been there, hadn't really said those things; it was all an illusion, and once again she'd been the one fooled by it.   
She could hear mocking laughter, and turned to find Lord Narcissus approaching her from the other end of the corridor. He was clapping his hands dramatically. "Oh, that was lovely, wasn't it? Your friends just passed the test of Will." He stopped clapping as he drew closer however, and tilted his head to the side, gazing at the shaken girl with his one good eye. "But, my dear, you haven't passed any of the tests. Your little friends did all the hard work for you." He clucked his tongue condescendingly. "My, my. I would have expected more from the legendary leader of the Senshi. So now what? I'm afraid I don't have any tests left for you. And I can't very well just release your little friends to you when you haven't earned it."  
Sailor Moon sighed wearily. She was so tired of this. It felt like they'd been fighting this battle forever, and what for? Because he had some weapon that he was going to use on her friends, that's why. She looked up at Narcissus. "Well, what do you want now? Am I supposed to fight you for them?" She wasn't sure she had the strength.  
Lord Narcissus cocked an eyebrow. "Well, that's one option. But I have a better idea. Surrender."  
She regarded him with exhaustion. "What?"  
"Surrender. If you come with me now willingly, let me take you prisoner, I'll release all your little buddies in exchange for you. Deal?"  
Sailor Moon closed her eyes. She could see the faces of her friends, hear their voices in her mind. She knew they wouldn't want her to do this. She also knew that she had no other choice. This would be best for all of them, after all. Narcissus would kill her, and let the others go Tuxedo Kamen would be free to be with Mars, and ChibiMoon well at least she wouldn't be placing her future daughter in any more danger, since her future daughter would cease to exist. Venus could lead the Senshi, and life would go on perfectly well without her. She opened her eyes, looked into Narcissus' cold, menacing, grinning face, and nodded. "Very well. I surrender, Narcissus. Let them go."  
His smile broadened. "I always knew you were a reasonable girl," he stated smoothly, taking her arm as if he were a fine gentleman escorting her to a ball. "Come, let's go see your little friends, shall we?" 

Pandemonium broke out as Sailor Moon entered the dungeon room on Narcissus' arm. She looked up and tears came to her eyes to see her friends all lined up behind the bars, calling to her. A sense of relief went through her to see Uranus and Neptune there as well, seeming safe and sound, though the glowering expression on Uranus' face was a little less than comforting. She knew they were all probably angry with her for just giving up, and she didn't blame them a bit, but she shook her head as all eight of them were yelling different things at once. Narcissus just stood there for a moment, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Finally he waved his arms for silence.  
"Anything you want to say to them, Miss Moon?" he asked, looking down at her.  
Sailor Moon met the eyes of her friends, some accusing, some full of pity, and some just confused. But it was Tuxedo Kamen whose gaze caught and held hers a gaze of acceptance, understanding, and underneath all of that, a love that nearly took her breath away. She faltered a bit at that. She didn't deserve that look, not at all. "I know you're all mad," she said a little shakily. "But look it's going to be better like this. You'll see. Better for all of you. And I'm sorry-- for being such a failure. I really am sorry."  
Narcissus nodded and snapped his fingers, and the bars of the cell once again dissolved into thin air. The Senshi came tumbling out of the cell towards them, everyone talking at once, trying to reach Sailor Moon, to reason with her, to reassure her but none of them made it. There was a shimmering of the air at Narcissus' left, and suddenly a woman materialized into being right next to him a woman with long rose-colored braids and poisonous sea-green eyes. The woman smiled, and clapped her hands once.  
It was as if a wind had suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, shoving everyone backwards against the wall in opposite directions. For Neptune and Uranus, it was a familiar feeling as the iron manacles once again appeared from the stone wall and clamped down around their hands and feet. Sailor Moon, too, was wrenched away from Narcissus' arm and slammed up against the wall directly behind her, the solid heavy iron quickly emerging to secure her to the wall.  
When Sailor Moon recovered enough of her wits and her breathing to speak, she turned towards Narcissus. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "You promised if I came with you you'd let them go."  
Narcissus shook his head. "My dear girl, lesson number one: in the Negaverse, there is no such thing as a promise."   
Lady Slipper, standing next to him, smiled and held out her hands. A moment later, the Soul Dissolver had appeared in them, and she giggled. "Oh, Narcissus, perhaps I was wrong about you. When the Avatar hears that we've permanently dispatched all the Senshi in one blow, he's sure to give both of us a promotion." She lifted the Dissolver to her shoulder and swung it around. "Now, which one goes first?" But Narcissus reached out and snatched the Soul Dissolver out of her hands.  
"Not yet, Lady Slipper. I don't want to kill them until I've got Sailor Orion in my hands too."  
Lady Slipper frowned. "My dear admiral, I already told you. The only one you need to catch Orion is Miss Uranus over there. The rest of them should be taken care of now, while you've got the opportunity."  
Lord Narcissus shook his head. "I don't think so. We're waiting for Orion."  
"I'm telling you, that's foolishness. You don't need all of them."  
The lavender-headed admiral shook his head. "I disagree. There's no way Orion is going to come after just one of her little friends. I don't see anything so special about Uranus I'm in charge here, and I say that we wait."  
"You're in charge? YOU'RE in charge? Narcissus, do you have any idea who you're speaking to? I outrank you six ways to Sunday, and I'm telling you that you need to get rid of the rest of them now. Orion will come for Uranus. I promise you that."  
"Lady Slipper is right. Even if you did kill the others, I'd come for Uranus." There was a collective gasp as Sailor Orion seemed to step into the center of the room, right out of thin air, and Centauri was right at her heels. The colossal Sailor Senshi turned to throw a bitter smile at Lord Narcissus. "But I'm not going to let you kill any of them."  
"Orion!" Sailor Moon gasped from the wall behind them. "Where did you come from?"  
Sailor Orion made a slight bow towards her. "I've been with you all along, Princess, from the very beginning." She held up her right arm, on which the bracelet set with her fire opal glinted in the dim light. "The Orion Fire Opal is such a handy little thing, you know. It lets me disappear--" She pressed the stone and vanished from sight for a moment, then became visible again. "--and reappear at will."  
"Then it WAS you I heard, and you were the one who helped me on the rocks when I slipped," Jupiter exclaimed.  
"And it was you who reminded me of the shores of Time."  
"And told me that _jaki _disguised as ChibiMoon was an impostor."  
Orion nodded. "Yes." She turned towards Narcissus, and her silvery eyes had gone very dark, and very, very cold. "I hope you had fun playing your little games, Lord Narcissus. Because I'm not going to play with you any more."  
The Negaverse admiral stared at her, and had to swallow hard. Something was lurking in those eyes something dark. A black secret. And he had the feeling that whatever it was, he wasn't going to like it. He looked over at Lady Slipper, who had also gone very pale and was staring at Sailor Orion as if she'd seen a ghost. The sudden abject terror on the Negaverse woman's face confirmed his suspicions. There was something about Orion that was not exactly what it seemed to be and he had the very uncomfortable premonition that he was about to find out what that something was, and it wasn't going to be pleasant. 

[Back to Part Eighteen][2]  
[On to Part Twenty][3]  
[Back to the Library][4]  
[Back to the Refuge][5]

   [1]: ChronoEnd.mid
   [2]: fanfic18.htm
   [3]: fanfic20.htm
   [4]: library.htm
   [5]: SailorOrion.htm



	20. The Return of the Prince of Darkness! Sa...

[Click here to listen to the Part Twenty soundtrack while you read!][1]

Part Twenty: The Return of the Prince of Darkness! Sailor Orion's secret

For a moment there was silence in the small dungeon room. The Senshi chained to the wall were all staring at Sailor Orion as if they'd never seen her before. And in truth, there was something different about her in this place. Something dark, cold terrifying. Orion turned her icy silver eyes upon Lady Slipper and smiled frostily, and the next words out of her mouth made all the Senshi gasp with surprise. "Hello, my love. It's been a long time." The six and a half foot soldier took three steps, crossed the room, and raised Lady Slipper's hand to her lips. She kissed the fingers with a mocking sentimental gesture. "You look as beautiful as ever."  
Sailor Venus' eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she turned towards Mercury who was chained up with her. "Does this mean that Orion is" She didn't finish the question. Mercury was equally stunned, and she shook her head. She couldn't think of any words to reply properly. The very idea of Sailor Orion having such a preference, particularly for a member of the Negaverse, had never occurred to her before. Neptune's mouth dropped open as she met Uranus' eyes.  
But then Sailor Orion straightened up and giggled a little as she noticed the shock on her friends' faces. "Don't worry, Senshi," she said quietly. "It's not exactly what you think it is." She smiled once again at Lady Slipper. "Is it, my love?"  
Lady Slipper had been staring at her, her sea-green eyes wide and her face numb. But she was finally able to recover herself and she snatched her fingers away. "Of course not," she snapped venomously. "You're not the Orion I used to know."  
Orion's eyes narrowed. "That's very true."  
Narcissus swallowed hard, looking from one woman to the other with confusion and disgust. Finally he interrupted. "Far be it from me to break up whatever it is that's going on here, but I have a score to settle with you, Miss Orion."  
"Narcissus." This was Lady Slipper's voice, and he looked down at the feel of her hand on his arm. The rose-haired woman kept her eyes fastened on Orion. "Narcissus, back down. Now. Let them all go."  
Lord Narcissus nearly choked. "What?" He stared at her in shock. "Let them go? Are you insane? What's with you, huh? First you want me to waste them all and now you say let them go. Make up your mind."  
"Narcissus, if you don't let them go you are going to die."  
"Oh, it's too late for that, Lady Slipper," Orion declared coolly. "He's going to die anyway. He's pushed me just a little too far this time." Her silvery gaze flickered down to where Lady Slipper was clutching the Soul Dissolver. "I should have destroyed that wretched thing millennia ago. I'm going to correct that right now." She reached for the weapon.  
"I don't think so, Miss Orion." Narcissus snatched the Soul Dissolver first, before Lady Slipper could react, and raised it to his shoulder, leveling the barrel at the tall Senshi. "I'm going to kill you first. All your little friends can watch you die and then I'm going to finish off the rest of them. No more Sacred Sacrifice. No more little Guardians of the Balance. No more Sailor Senshi. And very soon no more Posiverse!! Once the Doomsday Gate is opened, the Avatar will lead our forces on a full fledged invasion of your flimsy little world, and the Negaverse will finally achieve its destiny. The Negaverse will be the only power in existence. And it will all be thanks to ME!!!" Lord Narcissus chuckled darkly and licked his lips in anticipation.  
Sailor Orion stared at him with an expression so intense and so full of hatred that Sailor Moon felt her mouth go dry. And then it happened. The black pupils of those chilling silver eyes dialated and expanded until they had filled both eyes, turning both the irises and the whites pitch black. Sailor Moon gave a little cry of fear. There was evil in those eyes. Narcissus had never seen anything like it. But Lady Slipper had, and her hand flew to her cheek. "Oh my god, Narcissus. You've done it. You've really gone and done it now."  
"What?" Lord Narcissus tried to sound casual and contemptuous as he asked the question, but there was a hint of something uncertain in his voice. It was unnatural, those solid black eyes that burned with fury and pure hate. Something whispered to the back of his mind that Lady Slipper was right, he ought to be backing down now and get out of there before whatever it was that was caged up inside the delicate Senshi of Music decided to release itself. But his pride would not allow him to give in. "I've got the Soul Dissolver, Lady Slipper. What's she going to do?" He took a firmer grip on the gun-like weapon and grinned. "That's a nice little trick, Miss Orion, getting your eyes to change like that. But it's not going to save you now. Nothing can save you. Say bye-bye." And he pulled the trigger.  
Sailor Moon cried out again. "No!!" she screamed as the stream of blood-red energy pulsed out of the Soul Dissolver towards Sailor Orion. _It's happening again she's going to die and it's all my fault _  
Orion's glistening black eyes seemed to flash as the trigger was pulled. She did not duck. She did not pull away. She spread her arms out, and with a cruel grin welcomed the burst of energy into her body with a peal of laughter that just did not sound human. Uranus felt goosebumps rising on her arms from the sound of it. Centauri, who had been standing near his mistress, stepped back with an expression of horror on his canine face. "Oh, no," he muttered, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Oh, no."  
And to everyone's surprise it was Lady Slipper who screamed the loudest. She turned towards Narcissus with a mixture of terror and contempt on her face. "You fool!" she hissed. "You have no idea what you've just done!" She turned back to where Sailor Orion's form lay, crumpled on the ground and pulsing with an eerie red light. Her rose-colored eyebrows contracted with fear. "I'm not staying. Even I don't want to see this. You're a dead man, Narcissus." Lady Slipper raised her wrist and snapped her fingers, and disappeared into thin air.  
Narcissus began to feel a little more uncomfortable. Lady Slipper was one of the most powerful members of the Negaverse, consort to the Avatar himself. If she was afraid of this But he would not allow himself to think about that. Lady Slipper was a coward. That was it. Imagine, being afraid of a Sailor Senshi whose soul at any moment was going to dissolve into thin air! Utterly ridiculous. There was nothing to be afraid of; it was over, and he had won. The cocky smile settled back into place as he turned to watch Orion's death throes.

Orion looked around the room where her friends and fellow Senshi had been chained to the walls. The reek of evil was everywhere in this place. She could feel it calling to her, pulsing through her blood, singing to her its wild siren song. And she knew she was lost. She could feel the darkness in her surging forward, and though she fought it back with every ounce of borrowed strength that she possessed, she knew, deep down, that it would not be enough. _It's going to be one of those lifetimes, _she sighed inwardly, _when the truth comes out. I really wish it hadn't come to this. But I suppose it can't be helped now._ Her gaze travelled over to where Lady Slipper was standing next to Narcissus, and a slow smile curved her lips as the memories came back, fresh as if they were yesterday.   
"Hello, my love. It's been a long time." Orion took three steps forward, letting her long legs carry her across the room in a very short time, throwing her shoulders back. She hadn't forgotten what it felt like. She never forgot anything. Orion reached down and took the shorter woman's hand in her own, then raised and kissed it in the mock-chivalrous gesture she'd performed hundreds of times before. Only this time was different, because she was different. "You look as beautiful as ever." She didn't add the 'and just as cruel,' but she met the old familiar sea-green eyes and she knew she didn't have to add it. It had been several thousand years, but Orion knew that Lady Slipper hadn't forgotten either. As she lowered the other woman's hand, she could feel the surge of amazement and shock that was running through her captive friends, and she had to grin inwardly. The feelings were all so intense in this place the power, the intoxicating old powers she'd done without for so long, were all beginning to rise again. She could nearly hear what they were thinking, and the unspoken questions buzzing through their heads. She straightened up and swept her eyes around the room, noting with satisfaction and a little twang of something else that Uranus' deep grey eyes were watching her with a newfound surprise. The grin finally reached her mouth. "Don't worry, Senshi. It's not exactly what you think it is." She turned back to gaze at the rose-haired woman before her, and she cocked a pale eyebrow as she noticed the mesmerized look on Lady Slipper's face. So, she hadn't lost the charm after all. Orion couldn't keep the amusement from her voice as she spoke to her again. "Is it, my love?" She used the last two words with deliberate irony, and Lady Slipper picked up on it immediately. Orion watched with interest as the Negaverse woman collected her thoughts. The sea-green eyes focused again, and narrowed. Sailor Orion had to chuckle silently. That was Lady Slipper, all right.   
Lady Slipper snatched her hand out of Orion's as if she'd suddenly been burned, and she glared furiously at her. "Of course not," she snapped back, but Orion knew her too well and could hear the carefully disguised fluster in her voice. "You're not the Orion I used to know."  
_Thank heaven for that_, Orion found herself thinking. _Or rather, thank the Princess. _But it was still very strange. She could feel the old Orion pushing from the inside and she knew that Lady Slipper would be able to feel it too. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the shorter woman. "That's very true," she responded quietly, dangerously. Deliberately she allowed a wave of the darkness inside to rise up and flow out towards Lady Slipper. There was a satisfactory wince that appeared suddenly on her face, and Orion knew that Lady Slipper had gotten the message. She might not be the old Orion anymore but the power was coming back. It was definitely coming back.  
Orion's attention was broken, though, as Lord Narcissus interrupted them with that cold, fishy voice that was really, really beginning to grate on her nerves. She had a difficult time holding herself in check as she turned to face him. "Far be it from me to break up whatever it is that's going on here, but I have a score to settle with you, Miss Orion," the lavender-suited man stated with the haughtiness that was almost enough to make Orion lose the tight hold she was keeping on the roiling darkness inside her. But fortunately for Narcissus, Lady Slipper sensed the strain in Orion and laid her hand on the Negaverse admiral's arm.  
"Narcissus. Narcissus, back down. Now. Let them all go."   
Orion took a deep breath and willed the heavy monstrosity inside of her to be still, just a little while longer it was still possible that she might be able to solve this without resorting to the powerful urges welling up in the recesses of her consciousness. As she struggled to calm herself, she could vaguely make out Narcissus' argumentative response to Lady Slipper. But it was Lady Slipper's reply that caught her attention.  
"Narcissus, if you don't let them go you are going to die." Orion shook her head at this.  
"Oh, it's too late for that, Lady Slipper. He's going to die anyway. He's pushed me just a little too far this time." Her voice was as light as she could have hoped for with all the turmoil going on inside. She could hear the negative energy beckoning to her again, drawing her gaze, and she realized that she was staring down at the Soul Dissolver in Lady Slipper's hands. The sight of it made her want to vomit, especially as the memories returned to her the screaming, the burning flesh, the cries of pain so tortured and horrible that they echoed for miles all that destruction, all that suffering had been her fault. "I should have destroyed that wretched thing millennia ago. I'm going to correct that right now." Her gloved hand extended towards the Soul Dissolver, dreading the touch of it but determined to carry out her point.  
She didn't get to it in time, though. Lord Narcissus suddenly seized the weapon and pointed it at her. Staring down the barrel of the thing, the darkness inside began to boil again, stronger than ever. Narcissus was smiling coldly, and all Orion could think of was how much she wanted to smash that smile right off his gloating face. He started to speak.   
"I don't think so, Miss Orion. I'm going to kill you first. All your little friends can watch you die and then I'm going to finish off the rest of them. No more Sacred Sacrifice. No more little Guardians of the Balance. No more Sailor Senshi. And very soon no more Posiverse!! Once the Doomsday Gate is opened, the Avatar will lead our forces on a full fledged invasion of your flimsy little world, and the Negaverse will finally achieve its destiny. The Negaverse will be the only power in existence. And it will all be thanks to ME!!!"   
That was it. Sailor Orion felt the control snap as the darkness surged forward in a wave so powerful it would have knocked her to her knees if it hadn't immediately seized control of her muscles. Her vision darkened and sharpened, becoming so finely tuned that she could now make out the tiny pulse of Lady Slipper's heartbeat in her throat. The woman's heart was beating very fast now, and speeding up at every moment, Orion noted with the old glee. And rightfully so. After all, who was more powerful than the Senshi of Orion? The dark addictive power that she'd avoided so long was suddenly there again, brought to the surface by the overwhelming negative energy that infused the Doomsday Gate. Orion didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. The strength, the glorious evil strength that was pouring into her and from her just felt too good. She craved it and welcomed it with all her being. She heard Sailor Moon's little cry of fright, and wished for a moment that she could reassure her... There was no reason for the Princess to fear her anymore. The old power could not change the new purity. Even the side of her that was light was not afraid, for she knew that the power, dark though it might be, would keep the right focus and that was saving the other Senshi. She needed this power and this strength if she was going to do that.   
Orion heard Lady Slipper speaking to Narcissus. "Oh my god, Narcissus. You've done it. You've really gone and done it now." She couldn't help another inward chuckle, much more sinister this time. Oh yes. He'd done it all right. And he was going to pay the price. For the sake of ChibiMoon, and the Princess, and everyone he'd been manipulating all this time. He was going to suffer dearly for it. Orion would see to that.  
Narcissus turned towards Lady Slipper, and even though he was trying to sound confident Sailor Orion could smell his fear from where she was standing. "What?" he demanded. "I've got the Soul Dissolver, Lady Slipper. What's she going to do?" Orion grinned. He was about to find out what she was going to do. She was about to make him sorry he was ever born. _Go ahead, shoot me,_ she gloated inwardly. _Come on. I dare you_. Narcissus turned back towards her. "That's a nice little trick, Miss Orion, getting your eyes to change like that." Orion tilted her head to the side. That's right, her eyes changed when the darkness took over. She remembered that. "But it's not going to save you now. Nothing can save you. Say bye-bye."  
Orion heard Sailor Moon screaming again, and felt sorry that she would have to wait to console her. But right now there was something more important she had to do. Narcissus had to realize that he did not have the power he believed he had. She began to laugh. Or rather, the darkness within began to laugh as the red destructive energy blasted towards her. Orion threw her arms wide to embrace it. It was time for Narcissus to learn the truth about his own ignorant foolishness. Of course, the other Senshi would learn the truth as well, but that couldn't be helped. A whisper of regret flashed through her mind as she thought of Sailor Uranus. She knew that the truth would only serve to drive her farther away but then again, it was no more than she deserved at any rate. But she didn't have time to consider the implications now. The scarlet fury of the Soul Dissolver slammed into her chest, and the glorious pain seared through her so that she fell to the ground. The energy all the borrowed energy that the Guardians had so carefully infused into her, melted away at the concentrated evil washing through her body. She had no choice now. The darkness was her only strength and her only hope for completing this mission.  
She felt rather than heard Lady Slipper's exit, and she knew that the time had come for Sailor Orion, the original Sailor Orion, to make a return. She waited for a moment to be sure that Lady Slipper was gone. She'd have to deal with her as well, but not today. No, today was reserved especially for Narcissus. She regretted the fact that this was necessary, but there was no other way to save the Princess and at all costs the Princess had to be saved. It was Orion's destiny. Once she was certain that Lady Slipper had left, she lifted her head. _Let the games begin, _she thought wryly to herself, and rose to her feet.

Narcissus' gloating gaze shifted to one of shock and fear as the girl he'd just shot rose to her feet again. He was confused. There had been no sparkling, disintegrating soul this time. There'd been nothing. No reaction at all, except that weird red glow all around the tall Senshi's body. As Orion stood up, the glow intensified. Narcissus had the strangest feeling that she was no longer wearing her _fuku_. In fact, she didn't seem to be wearing anything at all but the intense, hateful crimson light burning around her kept him from being able to see much more than a silhouette. Her eyes opened, those horrible midnight-black eyes. Her pale hair seemed to have turned to blood as the red energy saturated it. It didn't look like Orion anymore. This couldn't be Orion. This was a demon of some kind it had to be a demon. Narcissus gulped as he suddenly recalled Lady Slipper's words from a few days before, when he'd showed her the Soul Dissolver for the first time: _"I'm not afraid of Sailor Orion the way she is now. I'm afraid of what she's going to turn into when she sees that thing." _He suddenly found this statement took on an entirely new meaning as he stared at the creature rising from the floor.  
"What what are you?" Narcissus gasped. "The Soul Dissolver it should have worked why didn't it work?"  
The blood-colored being laughed again in that inhuman voice. And when it spoke, the hollow depths of the voice were enough make everyone in the room get goosebumps. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" Another mocking laugh. "The Soul Dissolver will not work on me, Lord Narcissus. You see I created it."  
The lavender eyes filled with indignation. "That's a lie," Narcissus declared. "The Soul Dissolver is one of the great legends of the Negaverse. It was created by the Avatar's son, the Prince of Darkness himself. He was the most powerful, most notorious Sailor Constellation of them all."  
"I know full well who the Prince of Darkness was, Narcissus. Tell me. Do YOU know what happened to him?" The unearthly tones took on a new resonance as the demon-like creature took a step forward.  
"Everyone knows," Narcissus retorted bravely. "She killed him." He jerked his thumb towards Sailor Moon, who gasped.  
"No, I didn't," Sailor Moon insisted from her spot on the wall. "I didn't kill anybody did I?" She looked towards Sailor Pluto who was chained to the opposite wall, but the Senshi of Time shook her head.   
"I'm sorry, Sailor Moon, but I don't remember. It was such a long time ago." The garnet colored eyes were full of concern. "My memories of that time are so faded."  
The glowing being nodded towards Sailor Moon. "You are quite right, Princess. You didn't kill him. You couldn't kill him, for his powers matched your own. But you did destroy the evil inside him. And once you'd taken that away, the Prince of Darkness was no more." A look of bewilderment crossed Sailor Moon's face as she attempted to understand this.   
Lord Narcissus snorted derisively, beginning to feel just a little more confident. After all, whatever this thing was that Orion had suddenly turned into didn't seem to be too threatening at the moment. He was the admiral of the Avatar's navy he could handle this thing, whatever it was. Narcissus straightened his shoulders and stared condescendingly at the scarlet creature in front of him. "Look, I don't know what you're trying to pull, Orion, but it isn't going to work. I'm not afraid of you. The Soul Dissolver was created by the leader of the Sailor Constellations. He was killed, or destroyed, or whatever you want to call it, by that little brat over there. And now it is up to me to fulfill his dreams I will bring the Posiverse to its knees once and for all, and there's nothing even you can do about it." But the self assured smile that grew on his face with every word suddenly disappeared at the sound of the being's laughter, so dark and full of cruelty.  
"So, they told you that the Prince of Darkness was a Sailor Constellation." The creature chuckled again and shook its glowing head. "And you still haven't figured it out. Your thick-headedness amazes me. But I'll try to point you in the right direction tell me, Narcissus: did they ever mention what his Sailor name was?"  
Lord Narcissus frowned for a moment. Now that he thought about it, he realized that this particular detail had been left out of every account he'd ever read or heard. He stared at the crimson thing blankly, and it laughed again. Suddenly a new voice spoke out, and Centauri took a few steps towards the center of the room, towards the glowing creature. The golden retriever's liquid eyes were full of worry. "Orion, don't do this. Not without me. You know what will happen you just can't."  
The creature turned to look at the dog, and the unearthly, wicked voice was somehow oddly tender. "I have no choice," it responded. Sailor Moon could have sworn she heard some regret in the tone, and she blinked in surprise.  
Then the glowing being thrust out its arm, and for the first time Narcissus and the Senshi caught a good glimpse of the bracelet encircling the slender wrist. It was broad and solid and gold, and the Orion Fire Opal flashed with newer, deeper fires as the red aura surrounding it was captured and reflected in its depths. The being closed its eyes, and then called out, "Orion Constellation Power! Makeup!"  
Mercury frowned and looked over at Venus. "But I thought it was Centauri who made her transform," she puzzled, recalling that first time they'd watched the transformation. It had always been the retriever who had called out the phrase and transferred power to the bracelet. She'd never once seen Orion do it alone. Sailor Venus shrugged as well and the two girls watched as the familiar peach-colored glow began to dissolve away the redness.  
Narcissus watched as well, his mouth dropping open as the being was lifted off the floor by the transformation energies. There was something different about this, though. The power swirling around was darker and somehow more full of violence. The melody that suddenly filled the small dungeon room was as upbeat and dance-like as the one they were accustomed to hearing, but there was an insistence to it a pounding rhythm that seemed to take over their heartbeats, to bend their own bodies to its will. It was an overpowering, frightening feeling. Sailor Moon's eyes widened as her own heart began to speed up, to pulse irregularly with the beat of the music, and there was the strangest feeling of familiarity. She knew this song. She knew this beat, this feeling. She'd felt it before but when?   
The light that enveloped Orion's body was transforming it somehow. The shoulders were becoming wider, the hips less defined. The long, slender legs began to lose their curves. The ankles thickened, the feet broadened, and muscular definition began to appear everywhere. The flowing hair, which had appeared red in the glow of the Soul Dissolver, was now taking on a coal black shade, an infinite, impossible blackness that was only matched in the blackness of the terrifying eyes which opened as the melody and light faded away.   
The Senshi breathed a collective gasp of astonishment as they saw, finally, the person who was crouching on the floor in Orion's familiar defensive stance. It was a man.  
"Oh my lord" Sailor Mars breathed.  
"I don't believe it" Jupiter managed to utter.  
The man rose to his feet from the floor, his pitch black hair streaming wildly about his shoulders. He was dressed in black from head to toe a loose, open shirt tucked into a pair of coarse, baggy pants, which in turn were tucked into a pair of slick black boots. He wore a cape similar to Lord Narcissus', except that it billowed to the floor and was edged in two rows of peach piping. The gold Opal bracelet was still prominently displayed on his arm, over the black leather fingerless gloves he wore on his hands. And circling his head was another ring of gold. This one had a symbol stamped into it directly over the forehead a symbol that looked like a capital A overlapping with a capital V. The Senshi had never seen this symbol before, but Narcissus knew it all too well and he realized, too late, his mistake. The Negaverse admiral fell to his knees.   
A cold smile crossed the face of the man in black. "Do you know me now, Narcissus?" he asked, in a voice that, while deeper, still reminded Sailor Moon of bells.  
The amethysts encrusted into Lord Narcissus' eyepatch twinkled as he nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes yes, your Highness I mean, your Greatness your Worship Forgive my ignorance I never expected"  
"Yes, yes, enough of that. Who am I?"   
Narcissus wisely chose not to look up and meet the burning blackness of those eyes. "You are you are the Avatar's son. The Prince of Darkness. The Leader of the Sailor Constellations. The Terror of the Posiverse. The All-Powerful Scourge"  
"That will do," the Prince interrupted calmly. "Yes. I am the Prince of Darkness. I am also Sailor Orion. The ORIGINAL Sailor Orion. And as you said, the first and most powerful leader of the Sailor Constellations."  
"I knew it!!" Sailor Uranus exploded triumphantly from the wall on the right. "I knew it. I knew there had to be a reason I didn't like her I was right!!"  
Sailor Orion turned to face Uranus, and the sandy haired Senshi suddenly felt inexplicably like she ought to be sorry for what she'd just said. The black eyes gazed at her with more sadness and despair than she'd ever seen in her life and yet, there was still that fury inside of her, that hatred that ignited at the very sight of him, a thousand times stronger than it had ever been towards Shinzui. She struggled against the manacles that bound her to the wall. She wanted to kill him. The red rage was floating before her eyes and she wanted to get over there and do something about it. Uranus hissed in frustration as the iron held firm.   
Orion nodded slowly. "Yes, Sailor Uranus," he answered. "You do have a reason to hate me. A very good reason." The solid, dark eyes hardened again, however, as he looked down at the admiral groveling at his feet. "But I will deal with you first. You, Lord Narcissus, have displeased me."  
"Yes, your Worshipfulness." The voice was almost a whimper.  
"You will now pay the price for upsetting your Prince. You will forfeit your life."  
"No!" Sailor Moon exclaimed from the wall in front of them. "Orion, don't kill him. You don't have to kill him now. Please if you're here to save us, you can do it without killing him."  
Sailor Orion looked up at her with an icy stare. "That is not how it is done here, Princess. Mercy does not exist in the Negaverse. Does it, Admiral?"  
The heap of lavender on the floor did whimper this time. "Please, oh Noble One, I thought my actions would please you" Then a thought occurred to the admiral and he looked up. "Wait," he ventured timidly. "You said Sailor Moon destroyed the evil in you. If that's true, you can't kill me in cold blood."   
Sailor Orion grinned then, his smooth white teeth glittering in the dim light. "Oh, it's true. There's no evil left in me, thanks to the Princess. But there's plenty of evil in this place and it just so happens that I have a nice big empty space inside where my own darkness used to be. When I transform into Senshi form without Centauri first purifying the power of the Orion Opal, that vacant space opens. And right now, my friend, the negative energy of this Gate is filling it up quite nicely. I assure you, I am going to have no problems ridding the universe of you."  
"Sailor Orion please you don't have to do this."  
"Oh, shut up." The pitch black eyes glared over at Sailor Moon. "Your pleas fall upon deaf ears, Princess. The darkness rules now. You are about to witness the full power of the monster you destroyed. I am sure it will make you very glad that you got to me when you did."  
Sailor Moon wanted to reply, but found that she was unable to move her lips. The terrible, absolute blackness of his eyes seemed to hypnotize her brain, and she could not protest any longer. The Prince of Darkness bent over and picked up the Soul Dissolver from where Narcissus had dropped it. "Well, Lord Narcissus. You've seen what my little invention does to immortal souls. Did you ever use it on a mortal being?"  
Narcissus' lip trembled. "Please, your Royal Highness"  
Sailor Orion looked over towards Uranus. "Sailor Uranus. I suggest you close your eyes. This will be especially painful for you."   
Uranus glared back at him. "You're insane," she sneered.   
The sadness was back, emanating from those pitch black eyes as Orion shook his head. "Have it your way, then," he said simply, and turned back towards Narcissus, leveling the Soul Dissolver. "I think, my friend, that it is time for YOU to say bye-bye." And with that he pulled the trigger.  
What happened next was hard for Uranus to understand. The red energy left the barrel of the weapon and entered Narcissus' body. The concentrated, pure evil power seemed to melt the flesh right off of Narcissus' bones. The horrible, stinking sweet stench of rotted meat and burning skin suddenly filled the small dungeon room. And Uranus felt the most gutwrenching pain she'd ever experienced in her life. She tried to close her eyes, to block out the sight of it, but it was too late. Narcissus was screaming, but for some reason it wasn't Narcissus' voice she heard. It was the voice of a child. A voice that seemed somehow familiar. A voice that shattered her heart. There were other screams too a man's voice, deeper than Narcissus'. An old woman. A girl. Uranus felt like her chest was about to explode. She could barely breathe. This wasn't like any pain she'd every felt before. It came from the inside, from her own soul. The most burning, frightening sense of loss and fury and hurt and despair that she'd ever known. She heard a new voice screaming now, and realized dimly that it was her own. And she saw his face. The cold, dead, leering black eyes, the black hair streaming maniacally about his shoulders, the sadistic glee in his expression, and the hate filled her to the point that she could not control it any longer.   
With a mighty, outraged heave and a shriek of fury, Uranus pulled the iron manacles binding her wrists right out of the wall. The clamps around her ankles followed, and the other Senshi watched in bewilderment and astonishment as chips of rock flew from the Magnifiscent Soldier's chains. Uranus launched herself at Sailor Orion, arms outstretched as if she intended to claw his eyes out with her bare hands. Sailor Neptune could only stare in utter shock. Never in her entire relationship with Uranus had she ever seen her partner like this.  
The Prince of Darkness looked up as Uranus came towards him, and sidestepped the charge casually so that Uranus found herself on the opposite side of the room. He shook his head. "I told you, you have good reason to hate me, Sailor Uranus. But still you do not understand what that reason is. I warned you to close your eyes."   
He rolled his eyes as Sailor Uranus, chest heaving, charged him again. This time, with a speed so fast that the other Senshi scarcely saw his hands move, he let her pass him only a little ways before siezing her arm, spinning her around and pinning her back up against himself where she could not get away. Uranus struggled as best as she could, but the Negaverse Prince was nearly a foot taller than she was, still being the six and a half feet that the other Sailor Orion had been. There was steel in his arms, and he simply held her, firmly but not painfully, until she stopped fighting. Sailor Orion shook his head again, and the wild black hair brushed against Uranus' cheek and across her lips. Uranus was revolted by the mere feel of it.   
"Look," Orion demanded, drawing her attention to the dead man on the floor or what was left of him, anyway. The power of the Soul Dissolver had reduced Narcissus to a bare pile of bones and some scraps of bloody, singed lavender material. "Look at the power I had. The power you took from me. I used to rule this place. I was the most powerful Negaforce warrior in existence. I could kill with a word. And I even developed a weapon that would have allowed me to destroy the immortal souls of my archenemies. But what happened? The Senshi came along and took it all away." He looked up and his terrible dark eyes swept the room. "Look at me, all of you. Look at the glory of what I once was. The power of it. And you, Princess. You took that power and glory away. Your little purifying crystal and those three goody-goody Guardians you reduced me to a weak, diluted version of my former greatness. Never again will I be able to reclaim it."  
Sailor Moon stared down at the mutilated figure that had once been Narcissus, the Negaverse admiral who had tormented the Senshi for the last few months, and her eyes filled with tears. "You call that horrible killing and cruelty being great? How could you see the ability to cause death as a great thing? I just don't understand you."  
Orion chuckled darkly. "You never did." With one arm he threw Uranus back towards the wall where she'd been chained up, and snapped his fingers. The iron chains seemed to magically reattach themselves to the stone, and though Uranus struggled against them, she was missing that initial burst of rage that had allowed her to break free before. Sailor Orion watched her a moment and then nodded. "But there's something else that I need to finish here." He held up the Soul Dissolver in front of him and eyed it with distaste. "Funny that I hate this thing now the one thing I once thought would give me the ability to rule the Posiverse forever. But I made a mistake when I just assumed it had been destroyed. I'm going to rectify that mistake."  
He set the weapon down carefully on top of Narcissus' remains. "Might as well clean up a little around here while I'm at it," he quipped with black amusement. Sailor Moon cringed. As much as she'd disliked Narcissus, there was a part of her that just could not help feeling sorry for him. Sailor Orion took a step back and grinned rakishly at Sailor Moon. "I'm sure you're dying to see just what kind of powers I've got or that I used to have, anyway. So take a good look."  
After a moment, the Senshi could hear a humming noise, and the Orion Music Sphere materialized in front of him. At least, it looked like the Orion Music Sphere. But this orb was not an orb of light but an orb of darkness, as black and complete as the Prince's eyes. Sailor Orion lifted his fist so that the Orion Opal, set into the bracelet, sparked, and a look of wicked delight crossed his features. "Orion Opal Power!" he crowed. A sudden blast of black energy burst from the Opal on his wrist, into the hovering sphere. The darkness of the sphere seemed to concentrate itself, and then a single beam streamed from the sphere downwards towards the Soul Dissolver. It flowed for several seconds into the gun-like weapon. The red liquid contained inside the bulb on the top of the Dissolver began to boil rapidly, and then the bulb burst with the sound of cracking glass. The weapon began to glow as if the metal was becoming hot, and all of the Senshi, still chained to the walls, were overwhelmed by the pervasive evil aura emanating from the beam of black power.   
Sailor Mercury watched the proceedings with a mixture of horror and scholarly interest. "It's the reverse of Sailor Moon's Moon Crystal Power," she declared to Sailor Mars who was chained up on her left. "But the Opal seems to be generating corruption, while the Imperium Silver Crystal only generates purity. Very interesting."  
Sailor Mars twisted her head to look at Sailor Mercury. "What do you mean, interesting," she demanded angrily. "That stuff's giving off such a powerful evil aura it's giving me a huge headache."  
Jupiter shook her head. "I still don't believe what I'm seeing. What does all this mean? Who is Sailor Orion, anyway? Is it Shinzui, or the Sacred Child, or this person? I don't like this at all. All this time we've been fighting alongside a Prince of the Negaverse, and we never even knew it."  
"I wonder what he wants," Venus mused, keeping her eyes fastened on the black-clad Prince as he continued to concentrate his power on the Soul Dissolver. "I mean, he's evil, isn't he? So why is he helping us? Why is he destroying that thing instead of using it on us?"  
Tuxedo Kamen was also gazing at this new form of Sailor Orion with an odd expression. He knew this man. He couldn't explain it, he just knew that he'd met him before, somewhere. There was an energy emanating from him that seemed inexplicably familiar. And he could not remember, but there was a definite distrust there. The Prince of Darkness was a threat to Sailor Moon, somehow. He was certain of it. Tuxedo Kamen recalled with some trepidation the things that Orion had told them before that each of the Senshi had a Negaverse counterpart. If that was true, and if this Sailor Orion was Sailor Moon's counterpart from the Negaverse, then he must have immense power. He found himself to be growing more concerned with each passing moment. Why would Orion show this dark side to them now? There had to be some sort of motive.  
There was a loud hissing sound as the Soul Dissolver and the pile of bones and rags it rested upon were suddenly engulfed in black flame. The dark beam from the Sphere broke off, and a moment later, everything was gone the stone floor was completely clear. One would have never known that a few minutes before a man in a lavender cape had been kneeling on those stones pleading for his life. The Prince of Darkness smacked his hands together in satisfaction. "And that's that," he declared. "It's really gone this time. There will be no more weapons from the past returning to haunt me. It's finally, definitely gone." Then he stretched his arms above his head. "Ah, what a delicious feeling, all this strength. I was getting so tired of being cooped up in that bed day in and day out."  
Sailor Moon stared at him. "What are you, Orion? What do you want from us? I just don't understand." She shook her head slowly and looked down at the spot where Narcissus had been killed right before their eyes. "You didn't have to kill him. Why did you do that?"  
Orion met her crystal blue eyes with his own fathomless dark ones. "What am I? Why Princess, can't you see? I'm a monster. And killing is what monsters do, is it not?"  
"You're not a monster. I refuse to believe that." She looked at him defiantly, and Orion shook his head, clucking his tongue sympathetically.  
"Of course you refuse to believe it. That's your problem, Princess. You never could believe bad things about anyone you cared for."  
Sailor Uranus spoke again from her spot on the wall. "Well, I don't have that problem, Orion. You let me out of these things and I'll prove it to you."  
Sailor Orion grinned back at her and lifted a midnight eyebrow. "Ah, but you never cared for me, did you, Uranus?" Sailor Neptune tilted her head. There was a sensitivity in his question that she picked up on, just barely, and she found herself wondering if Orion was regretting the fact that Uranus didn't care. But the very next moment the flash of sensitivity was gone as the Prince of Darkness turned back to the Princess. "But you don't have to worry, Princess. I'm not here to destroy you. I may have the dark powers inside of me, but not the dark intentions any longer. No, I'm your servant, Princess. I protect you with my life whether you want me to or not. The fact is, Narcissus would have killed you. I just took care of him first. You ought to thank me for it."  
"Thank you?" Sailor Moon repeated incredulously. "For murdering a terrified man while he was begging for mercy? I should thank you for that?"  
The Prince of Darkness shrugged. "Or don't thank me. It really doesn't matter. He's gone now, and he won't be bothering you any longer and that, after all, is the point."  
Sailor Moon wanted to argue with him, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Somehow she knew that nothing she said would make any difference. This time it was Sailor Mercury who broke the uncomfortable pause.  
"Orion, I want to know how this is possible. How can you be both an old Orion and the one that we've grown to know? If this is your original form, how did you become Shinzui?"  
Sailor Orion turned towards Mercury, and his black eyes glittered. "Perceptive questions always the scholar, Mercury. But I'm not going to answer you now. There are more important things to address at this moment."  
"Like what?" Jupiter demanded.  
Orion shook his head. "You'll find out soon enough You should all be returned to Tokyo, at once. ChibiMoon's life is in danger."  
Tuxedo Kamen leaned forward anxiously. "What do you mean?"  
"You'll soon see for yourself." The Prince of Darkness turned and cast Uranus another rueful smile. "I regret that each of our meetings proves so distressing for you," he stated quietly. And then, before any of them had time to ponder his words, he lifted the bracelet into the air again. "Orion Black Music Restoration!" The Senshi felt the iron binding them to the wall suddenly disappear, and one by one they were enveloped in darkness. When the darkness had cleared, the Prince of Darkness was standing alone in the center of the small dungeon room. There was a moment of silence, and then his form shimmered brightly as he detransformed. Shinzui's slight form, blank eyes and all, was now the only thing present in the silent, stony place. The blind girl sighed deeply and stretched.   
"Well, at least that darkness has a nice side effect. I feel good as new. No more weakness or dizzy spells. The Guardians will be pleased at that much, at least."  
Centauri stepped forward from the shadows. "But was it worth it, Shinzui? Was it really necessary? You've disturbed the Senshi deeply with this new revelation." He moved to her side, bumping his nose up against her legs.  
Shinzui reached down and ruffled the silky fur on his head. "I know, old friend."  
"They're going to want answers."  
"They always do." The slender young woman shook her head. "We've been through this before in countless other lifetimes, Centauri, remember? Sometimes it's just necessary for the past to revisit us. If I hadn't resorted to my old form, they would all be dead."  
"And now Narcissus is dead."  
Shinzui smiled bitterly. "Yes. The last casualty of the Soul Dissolver's legacy. I can't say I'm going to mourn his death much."  
"But Shinzui, you killed him in cold blood, and right in front of Sailor Moon. Did you really have to do that?" the retriever prodded gently. "Or have you forgotten that for her, what you have just done is a great injustice?"  
"How could I forget?" The blind girl shook her head, and her soft, vacant eyes seemed sad. "I did what I had to do, Centauri. I would rather that the Princess be safe and hate me, than allow her to die thinking I'm her hero." She sighed again. Their voices were echoing hollowly around the stone of the dungeon room, a sharp reminder of the sudden isolation she felt. "I try to be one of them, Centauri, but I'm not. Not really. I cannot escape the truth of what I was. I cannot change the past no matter how much I would like to. And when it comes time to do the dirty work well, my hands are already stained with the blood of millions. So what's a few more? It might as well be me stepping up to do what must be done."  
Centauri could hear the despair creeping up in his mistress' voice, and decided not to press the matter farther. He knew that Shinzui would punish herself enough without his encouragement. He also knew that she was going to face additional questioning from the Guardians once they returned to the Celestial Hall. They were most certainly not going to be happy with this most recent turn of events.

"She has returned to human form." The reverberating whisper penetrated the Library as Oberon closed the Book of Balance and pushed it aside for the moment.  
Demetrius buried his face in his hands. "Why, oh why did she have to go and do that?" he moaned. "And right in front of the other Sailor Soldiers. Everything is such a mess now. All the explaining we're going to have to do and with the day of the Sacrifice still approaching steadily and still no sign of the Silver Dagger, not to mention the problems with the Neo-Moon Princess fading away we really just don't have time for this."  
Neophilus rose to his feet and took a deep breath. "I know, Demetrius. I don't like it any more than you do. But what's done is done. Now we must decide upon our next course of action."  
Demetrius groaned again. "And that whole mess with Sailor Uranus. It was so foolish of Orion to use the Soul Dissolver on a mortal right in front of Uranus. She's lucky it didn't bring back all the memories right then and there. Uranus nearly killed her from the mere aftertaste of the memory. If she'd been able to remember everything, to remember what really happened then" He shook his head. "The Sacred Child is under so much stress already. I think that it would break her, if that truth came out again."  
Oberon shook his head slowly. "That part of Orion's story has remained buried for millennia, Demetrius, ever since the day of her purification from Sailor Moon. It is the one thing that none of the Senshi, save for Orion herself, has ever been reminded of. And with any luck, it will never have to be brought up again. Uranus has finally been showing some progress, particularly over the last hundred lifetimes or so. She's finally beginning to heal from the old scars that run so deep. If we can prevent the wounds from being opened again, it is possible that one day she will be her old self again the person she was before all of this."  
Neophilus sighed as he reached down to trace the imprinted lettering on the old leather cover of the Book. "The humans have a saying 'The truth will set you free.' But in this case"  
"In this case truth is a prison," Demetrius finished for him. The other two Guardians nodded slowly in agreement, and they all stared down at the cover of the Book on the table. It was obvious that they were going to have to call a conference with the Sacred Child in light of these new developments, and none of them was looking forward to the implications it held. "'The truth will set you free,'" Demetrius mumbled bitterly. "Yeah, right."

[Back to Part Nineteen][2]  
[On to Part Twenty One][3]  
[Back to the Library][4]  
[Back to the Refuge][5]

   [1]: beautifullife.mid
   [2]: fanfic19.htm
   [3]: fanfic21.htm
   [4]: library.htm
   [5]: SailorOrion.htm



	21. Back to the Beginning. Orion's history

[Click here to listen to the Part Twenty-One soundtrack while you read!][1]

Part Twenty-One: Back to the beginning. Orion's history

The three golden-robed figures bowed low as the Sacred Child approached them through the mists of the tunnels. They'd agreed to meet here, and the Child was not looking forward to the inevitable scolding she was to receive. She was surprised when Guardian Father's first words were about something else entirely.  
"Child, I am glad you have come. The Neo Moon Princess' condition is worsening, and we do not know what to do for her."  
Though she was a bit taken aback, the Child tilted her head. "She is still fading away?"  
Neophilus nodded gravely. "Yes. We Guardians have not been able to stablize her, nor to determine what has occurred to cause this. All we do know is that something must be changing the course of time in a drastic way, and the Neo Moon Princess' very existence is in grave danger."  
Oberon shook his head. "I fear the Negaverse is behind this," he declared in a whisper. "And if this is true, it is one of the most disturbing attacks they have ever levied against the Senshi. I do not know how to stop them, for I do not even know what it is they have done."  
The Child looked from one to the other and sighed. "It's not the Negaverse this time, my Guardians." They looked up at her, and her voice was weary. "At least, not directly. The Negaverse was responsible for filling the Princess with feelings of guilt about the recent death of ChibiMoon. That guilt has been polluting her heart and it is the Princess herself who has brought this upon her future child. She has called off her relationship with Prince Endymion."  
"What?" Guardian Brother, in the center, exclaimed. "But but how is that possible? The Sailor Leader and the Prince of Earth have been together in every lifetime they've ever lived. If they do not marry"  
"The Neo Moon Princess will not be born," Guardian Friend finished in his overpowering whisper.  
The Sacred Child nodded. "But there is an even greater danger, my friends. If the Neo Moon Princess is not born, then the Princess cannot be reborn. And this must not be allowed to happen."  
Guardian Father shook his head. "It does not make sense," he mused quietly. "The Sailor Leader and Endymion are bound to one another in eternal love. She cannot refuse to love him, not with her heart as wide and pure and open as it is."  
The Sacred Child sighed, her soft hair glittering in the electric blue light. "Yet I am afraid that she is refusing, at least to acknowledge, her feelings for the Prince. She feels that she is a poor mother and would make a poor wife. I was with her in the Doomsday Gate, and I heard her telling Prince Endymion that she thought it would perhaps be better for the Neo Moon Princess if she were never born. These dark feelings have cluttered up the purity of her soul, so much so that I do not think she has ever been as weak as she is now. Without her innocence and integrity, she loses much of her power and cannot wield the Silver Crystal. She walked right into Narcissus' arms, and he would have killed her along with all of the other Senshi had I not intervened." The Child shook her head slowly. "She must be reconciled to the Prince, for her own safety as well as the safety of the other Senshi and the very fabric of the future itself."  
Guardian Friend rubbed at his chin. "How are we to accomplish this reconciliation, Child?"  
"That I do not know." The girl sighed again, heavily. "It seems that all of the Senshi have been frightened by me. Not that I blame them, of course, but at the moment none of them are speaking to me. And even if they were, I do not know what I could say to the Princess to convince her that her fears are unfounded."  
Guardian Father cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, Child, the other Guardians and I have some things we'd like to discuss with you."  
"Like why you decided to risk everything and become the Prince of Darkness again," Guardian Brother spoke up with a note of accusation in his voice. "How many times have we warned you about that, Child? You cannot control the darkness when it is released like that. What if you had hurt one of the Senshi?"  
The girl met his eyes calmly. She'd been expecting this. "Demetrius, it was the only way to destroy the Soul Dissolver. You know that as well as I do. If I hadn't returned to my old self Narcissus would have dissolved the souls of the Princess and all the other Senshi, for the rest of eternity. What else could I do?"  
"I wish you wouldn't refer to that monster as your old self, Child. The Prince of Darkness is not you. You are a different person entirely." Oberon's voice was gentle but full of conviction.  
There was impossible sadness in the Child's face as she turned to face him. "Not entirely, Guardian Friend. He is still in me. He will always be in me. His cruelty and spite are ingrained in my nature, no matter how much I would like to forget it. I cannot deny the truth about myself, Oberon. I was that monster. In many ways I still am. I may have had a change of heart, but that can never change the deeds of the past." She paused, and they could hear the regret in her tinkling, silvery voice. "But while it is true that I cannot directly control the darkness, the Princess can. Being in her presence is enough to remind me, to remind the Prince of Darkness, where I stand now. He would never hurt her or the other Senshi."  
"He murdered Narcissus," Demetrius pointed out bluntly. "Not that that insolent Negaverse admiral didn't deserve what he got but still, Sailor Orion murdered him."  
The Child nodded. "I know. And I regret that the Princess had to watch that. I regret that Iwas forced to reveal that part of me to her at all. But we've been through all of this before, my friends, in other lifetimes. Sometimes it's just necessary for the truth to come out. And when it does, we must deal with it."  
"But it's never happened like this before," Neophilus reminded her. "During those other lifetimes we had the chance to prepare the Senshi, to tell them about the Prince before he just appeared and started blasting away at things. But this time we weren't able to warn them at all."  
A hiss of steam from one of the overhead pipes lifted the girl's shining hair a bit, and illuminated her eyes. "I'm aware of that, Guardian Father. And believe me, it is another of my regrets. Right now the girls refuse to have any contact with me at all. Under normal circumstances I would simply allow them to work out their feelings and come to me when they were ready for answers. But if what you say about the Neo Moon Princess is true, then we just don't have the time. I must speak with the Princess and Endymion, before the course of destiny is permanently and fatally altered. Both of them must understand what is at stake here."  
"But how are you going to get them to listen to you?" Guardian Brother wanted to know. "You said they won't even talk to you."  
"Well, perhaps I ought to arrange a little kidnapping," the Child replied with mischief in her tones. "The Orion Music Sphere can take us back to the very beginning of this mess and I'll show them everything."  
"Everything?" Oberon repeated softly.   
The face of a certain young blond motorcyclist suddenly flashed before the Sacred Child's eyes, and the smile disappeared from her face. "No," she answered, so quietly that she was almost whispering. "Not everything, I suppose. She's healing so well I'm not going to reopen those wounds." The Child straightened her shoulders, though her eyes were still pained. "But they don't need to know the whole story. Just enough to explain who I am, and who they are, and how this all happened and hopefully it will be enough that I can earn their trust again."  
Guardian Father shook his head slowly. "This is such poor timing we have only two months left before the vernal equinox, and still no sign of the Dagger. The Senshi are in a muddle, the future is being changed right before our eyes, and your past is catching up with you."  
The Child nodded. "I know. And to top it all off, I have a concert I'm supposed to perform in tonight and I haven't even rehearsed the music yet."  
Demetrius frowned. "Can you not simply cancel, Child? After all, saving the universe would appear to be the priority here."  
There was a tinkling giggle. "My sister and I have to eat, Guardian Brother," she reminded him with amusement. "How else do you think we survive? It is my music and Sachiko's art that puts food on our table. And immortal soul or not, I still have to eat." The Child giggled again. "But don't worry about me, old friends. I'll be all right and we'll find that Dagger, you'll see. We've never failed before."  
The three Guardians bowed to her then. "Safe questing, Child," they said in perfect unison.   
Performing the ritual handshake, hug and peck on the forehead, the Child said goodbye to each of them. "Safe questing, Guardian Friend. Safe questing, Guardian Brother. Safe questing, Guardian Father." And then she turned and strode out of the tunnels, away from them.  
Demetrius turned to look at Oberon. "Do you think we'll find the Dagger in time?" he asked. "She does have a point we've always found it before."  
Oberon shook his head. "I have a dark feeling about this," he whispered in reply. "This lifetime is different than the others. I know it in my bones. Something tells me that right now, nothing is certain."  
Neophilus put one hand on each of his companions' shoulders. "Come, my friends," he rumbled. "We have been away too long as it is. I will remind you that we have a very sick little girl lying in our Hall. She will be frightened if we are gone for much longer."  
Nodding in agreement, the other two turned to join him as they headed into the darkness in the opposite direction. The blackness reached out to greet them, and then they disappeared.

"Don't you guys think you're being a little unfair?" Usagi wanted to know, looking from one face to another. "I mean, come on. There's got to be a good explanation. We at least ought to hear her out."  
Rei shook her head adamantly. "Listen, Usagi-chan. Maybe you couldn't feel the darkness surrounding that monster that Orion morphed into, but I sure could. It's the most powerful, absolute evil I've ever felt in my life. Even Queen Beryl didn't have that kind of power."  
"She's dangerous," Makoto added, fire flashing in those emerald eyes as she looked up from the table. "Not to mention the fact that she's been lying to us all along, parading around pretending to be a Sailor Senshi, one of us. All the time she was really that thing that Prince of Darkness."  
"She never lied," Usagi protested, albeit a bit weakly. "She just left out some things."  
"It's the same thing, Usagi-chan. She decieved us." This came from Ami, and Usagi turned to look at the normally soft-spoken girl with astonishment.  
"Ami-chan? You don't trust her either?"  
"You saw what she did to Narcissus, Usagi-chan. You of all people should agree that it was wrong to just destroy him like that." Ami returned her gaze to the science book in front of her with a calmness that the other Scouts knew was not entirely genuine. She'd been as shaken by this latest turn of events as the rest of them were.  
Usagi wanted to protest but found she had nothing to say. It was true. Orion had killed a man who was completely helpless and begging for his life. The battle had already been won, Narcissus was surrendering, and Orion killed him anyway. Usagi would never be able to agree with that decision.  
Haruka growled under her breath from across the room. She turned to face the younger girls, seated at the low table in Rei's room, and her grey eyes were full of steel. "I knew there was something that wasn't right about her," she spat out. "And now we know what it is. The next time we meet I won't have to hesitate to destroy her."  
"Haruka. Orion saved our lives. Evil being or not, man or woman, Orion saved our lives and destroyed the Soul Dissolver." Setsuna rose to her feet to join Haruka at the window. "Orion is on our side. I'm certain of it."  
Michiru's soft, elegant voice came from over Haruka's shoulder. "I have to agree with Haruka on this one, Setsuna-san. Sailor Orion is evil. I sensed it with every pore of my being as soon as that Prince of Darkness appeared. Like Rei said, it's the most unadulterated darkness I've ever felt." There was a bit of regret in the teal eyes as she sighed. "I just don't understand how a creature with that much black power could manage to disguise himself from me. I've spent hours with Shinzui, working with our music, and I never once sensed it."  
Haruka smacked her fist into the pane of the window with scarcely restrained fury, and Rei looked up with annoyance. "Haruka-san, be careful. Grandpa doesn't need to be replacing our windows because you get all self-righteous."  
Haruka gave a snort of amusement at that before turning to respond to Michiru. "Orion is cunning, that much is for sure," she observed coldly. "If you and your mirror couldn't detect her true self, then she must be able to hide it very well."  
"You seemed to know about it, though, Haruka-san," Makoto pointed out.  
"That's right, Haruka-san. You never did trust Orion," Minako recalled as she looked at the blond tomboy with new respect. "The rest of us were completely fooled."  
Usagi was shaking her head again. "Look, guys, maybe she wasn't trying to fool us. Maybe Orion had a very good reason for keeping her past a secret."  
Ami looked up from her book and sighed. "Usagi-chan, you saw that monster she turned into. Of course she had a good reason there's no way we would have let her get so close to us if we knew what she was."  
Setsuna turned back to face them again, and her smooth, beautiful features were lined with worry. "I don't think we're looking at this the right way," she declared evenly. "Orion is not an enemy. What about all the business concerning the Guardians and the Sacred Child? I am beginning to remember some things images and voices. Enough to convince me that Sailor Orion was telling us the truth when she said she was here to sacrifice her life for Sailor Moon's." The expressions on the other girl's faces remained dubious, however, and she sighed. "We're not going to solve anything by refusing all contact with her. We must confront Orion and get her to explain all of this."  
Haruka shook her head stubbornly. "No. It's too dangerous. We all saw what kind of power that creature possesses. We can't risk confrontation until we're ready and able to destroy Orion."  
"That's right," Makoto nodded. "We should start thinking about new ways to combine our attacks anything that might give us the advantage. We need to start some regular training."   
Rei was also nodding. "And I'll check the fires. It could be that Orion has a weakness that the fires will reveal to me, and it might prove helpful."  
"We should develop some attack strategies as well," Ami noted, pulling out her mini computer and beginning to type rapidly. "I've been documenting the methods, plans and strategies that have been successful for us in the past. I think with a little manipulation I could come up with an attack plan of sorts."  
Usagi rose to her feet, and she sounded close to tears. "Will you listen to yourselves?!!" she demanded in frustration. "You're talking about attacking and destroying a friend. I don't believe you."  
Minako reached up from where she was sitting and patted Usagi's arm soothingly. "Usagi-chan, you're forgetting that this is someone who has lied to us from the very beginning, one of the rulers of the Negaverse and a cold-blooded murderer. Orion is not our friend anymore in fact, she never was. The person we got to know never really existed."  
Usagi shook off the hand, staring at the faces around the room in shock. "I just don't believe you guys," she mumbled. "I just don't believe it." Then her eyes narrowed. "You can make all the plans you want to, but leave me out of them. I'm not going to be a part of it." With that, she turned and stalked out of the temple room.  
Outside in the snow-blanketed courtyard, the cold February air felt good against her inflamed cheeks. Usagi just couldn't understand it, and she suddenly felt very, very tired. Emotions had been running high for days now, and it felt like they'd been fighting forever. As if having Mamoru to deal with wasn't enough, now she had all of her friends angry and upset and the past few days had been nothing but grueling battle and unpleasant surprises. Usagi slumped down onto the bench beneath the white frosted branches of the cherry trees, ignoring the cold wetness as the snow beneath her yeilded to her body heat. This was just too much. "I can't do this," she whispered pitifully as a fat tear rolled down her nose. "I'm supposed to be the leader. But how can I lead them when I'm so mixed up myself?" It was getting harder and harder to hold fast to her resolve. She knew it was safer and better for Mamoru if they were not together. But she couldn't deny how much she missed him. It was like a sick, tight knot in the middle of her chest, and there was this overpowering feeling that maybe things would never be right again. It was just too much for her to handle all at once.  
"Princess."  
The soft, tinkling voice seemed to somehow soothe Usagi's heart a little, and she looked up to meet the vacant gaze of the blind girl, with Centauri at her side. "Shinzui-san," she breathed. And then a vision of the Negaverse Prince with his fathomless black eyes filled her head, and she stood up and backed a way a few steps. "I I'm not supposed to talk to you," she declared a bit uncertainly.  
Shinzui nodded. "I know, Princess. But there is something very important I must tell you about. Chibiusa-chan is in grave danger. If you continue to persist in your refusal to be with Endymion, you will alter the future irreparably. She will cease to exist."  
Usagi shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "Then she'll be better off," she mumbled, scuffing at the snow around her feet. "I can't be her mother. I don't deserve it. Better for her to never have existed than to live a short time and get killed because of my own stupidity and cowardice."  
Centauri spoke up then. "You do not understand, Princess. If Chibiusa ceases to exist, then you will too. Without her you cannot be reborn for your next lifetime. It is the way of things."  
The petite blond girl's face scrunched up in confusion as she looked down at the handsome golden retriever. "I don't understand."  
"I know." Shinzui reached a hand out towards her. "Let me show you."  
Usagi shrank back from the oustretched hand as if it were a snake. That hand it was the same one that had summoned the power to kill Narcissus. "I I can't. How do I know I can trust you? I mean, what are you, anyway?"  
The blind girl took a deep breath and lowered her hand. "I realize how confusing this must be for you, Princess. The truth is a very long story. But now that it has been revealed, I have no choice but to tell you that story so that you may all understand I am no longer your enemy."  
"But you were our enemy, once right?"  
Shinzui nodded, and her face was very sad. "Yes." She reached out again. "Please, Princess. Come with me and let me explain."  
Hesitantly Usagi reached out towards her to take her hand. But an instant before their fingers touched, something went whoosh! and Shinzui was forced to pull her hand back to avoid the piercing stem of Tuxedo Kamen's rose. Both girls turned to see the caped young man striding toward them with a look of fury on his face.  
"Stay away from her, Shinzui," he barked, coming to stand at Usagi's side.  
Usagi looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she uttered with surprise.   
But the man in the mask did not even look down at her. He kept his eyes fastened to the tall blind girl, and his expression was cold. "I don't know what you think you're going to do to Usako, Shinzui, but I'm not going to let you touch her. You aren't welcome here."  
Shinzui closed her sightless eyes for a moment, and when she opened them Usagi could see tears there. "Tuxedo Kamen, I promise you I mean the Princess no harm. I am trying to explain to her why it is important for the two of you to be together."  
"Our relationship is none of your business," he snapped back. "We'll take care of things on our own."  
"Chibiusa is dying, Tuxedo Kamen," Shinzui declared softly. This announcement caused a moment of silence, as Tuxedo Kamen pondered this. "If you and the Princess do not reconcile, the universe is lost. The Neo Moon Princess is as crucial to the future of the Posiverse as the Princess herself is."  
The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes again. "I have no reason to believe you," he insisted. "You lied to us from the very beginning. Why shouldn't I think that you're lying now?"  
"Because I'm not lying. And because, if you come with me now, I can explain everything."  
"Nobody is going anywhere with you, Orion." The three of them looked up to see Sailor Uranus marching towards them, with the rest of the Senshi following right along behind. The Magnifiscent Soldier raised her fist. "You'd better get out of here before we kill you."  
"Uranus!" Usagi exclaimed in shock. "Don't say that!"  
Shinzui tilted her head towards Uranus, and her voice was full of sorrow. "Sailor Uranus, if you and the other Senshi will not come with me willingly, for the sake of the future of the Posiverse I will be forced to take you against your will. Is that what you want?"  
"You're not taking me anywhere," Sailor Jupiter snarled, stepping forward to join Uranus.  
Shinzui sighed. "Girls, please don't make me do this."  
"The only thing we're going to make you do is leave," Sailor Venus spoke up. "We don't want you here."  
Shaking her head, the blind girl pulled up the sleeve of her jacket to expose the transformation bracelet. "Very well," she responded quietly. "Centauri?"  
The golden retriever nodded and called out, "Orion Constellation Power, Make Up!" For a moment time stood still as the swirling peach-colored energies surrounded the pale-haired girl, lifting her off the ground and replacing her heavy winter jacket and jeans with the familiar peach and black Sailor fuku. An instant later she was rising from her defensive crouching stance, her silver eyes sweeping over the distrusting faces of the Senshi.  
"Well, come on, then, let's do this," Sailor Jupiter declared, taking a step forward as the electricity crackled through her tiara.  
Sailor Orion shook her head. "No. Jupiter, I don't want to fight you."  
"Then leave," Sailor Mercury commanded from the left.  
"I can't. Not until I've shown you what you need to know."  
Sailor Uranus snorted. "Then you'd better start powering up those defenses of yours," she snapped. "World Shaking!" The golden planet-shaped orb of energy blasted towards Orion, gouging the ground as it went. But it only crashed into the cherry tree. Orion was gone. In confusion, Uranus looked around. "Where'd she go?" |  
But before any of the Senshi could collect their wits, they heard a familiar humming sound coming from behind them. "Heavenly Symphony!"  
"Oh, no you don't" Uranus began, but found that she couldn't finish. Her feet felt as if they'd been bolted to the ground. She couldn't move. Her arms were heavy. "What the hell" She looked to either side of her at the other Sailor Senshi who seemed to be in a similar predicament.   
"Orion, what are you doing to us?" Sailor Mars gasped out, trying to lift her arm and finding that her muscles would no longer respond.  
"Shh, it's all right," Sailor Orion responded. There was no malice in the sparkling silver eyes. "Just relax and enjoy the show."  
"What show?" Mercury wanted to know. In response, Sailor Orion grinned and turned to look at her Orion Music Sphere, which was playing a new melody one the Senshi had never heard before. And she began to sing.  
_"You don't have to trust me, you've seen what I was  
And it's hard to believe I have changed  
But keep your hearts open and listen to me  
I will show you how it was arranged  
Sphere of Orion, with heavenly light  
Hear my command and obey  
You must take us all on a memory flight  
We need you to show us the way_

_ "Take us back  
Back to the beginning  
Back to where this story had its start  
It's time to know  
Time to hear the answers  
Time to tell the secret of my heart  
Close your eyes and remember  
The way things used to be  
The time has come for you to hear  
The truth about our history_

_ "The things you will see were forgotten by time  
Yet they form the foundation of all  
The way we are now and the reason we're here  
And the basis for Destiny's call  
The war that has raged between evil and good  
Got its start at the dawning of time  
And each of us picked out the place where we stood  
I will show you what happened to mine  
  
"Take us back  
Back to the beginning  
Back to where this story had its start  
It's time to know  
Time to hear the answers  
Time to tell the secret of my heart  
Close your eyes and remember  
The way things used to be  
The time has come for you to hear  
The truth about our history."_

As Orion's sweet, silvery voice filled the temple courtyard, the Senshi all felt their eyes drawn to the Orion Music Sphere. It was pulsing with that same warm, pure light, illuminating the Orion symbol and punctuating the lyrics of Sailor Orion's song. It seemed to be getting bigger or was it that the Senshi were getting smaller? They still couldn't move, and the Sphere seemed to grow, stretching out towards them, enveloping all of them. There was no sensation as the boundaries of the Sphere swelled to encompass them, but the sides of the Sphere deepened and darkened until all they could see was an endless expanse of starry blackness swirling above and on all sides. It was beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful, and despite the fact that none of them trusted Orion, they could not help feeling safe here. It was a strange feeling, almost like coming home after a long absence. The music of the Sphere was still surrounding them, relaxing and soothing. Sailor Uranus tried to fight it off, because the rage inside of her was still burning hotly towards Orion and she wanted nothing to do with her little magical tricks. But she found it increasingly difficult to stay angry when the music was swelling inside her soul.  
Finally the song ended and the Senshi looked around them. Usagi, the only one not in Sailor form, was actually turning around in slow circles trying to get a good look at their new surroundings. She spoke first. "Orion, where are we?" Her voice echoed with a delicate, bell-like sound around them.   
"We are inside the Orion Music Sphere," Sailor Orion informed them, her own tinkling silver tones taking on a new resonance here. "I am going to show you the truth of myself, the truth about what happened to all of us. The Music Sphere has taken us back to the very beginning of time."  
Sailor Uranus tried to take a step towards her, but found that she did not really want to. In fact, she was finding it hard to remember why she ought to be angry towards Orion. There was an intense dislike remaining strong within her, but the fury and hatred she'd experienced only a few minutes before was gone now, and her rational mind had taken over, calmly affirming that she was safe here and there was no reason to mistrust Orion until she actually hurt one of the Senshi.   
Orion swept her arm around behind her at the swirling expanse of stars. As she did so, three figures shimmered into being behind her, each one cloaked in a golden robe, their hoods pulled down to obscure their features. Each wore a colored gemstone at their throats, one red, one blue and one purple, and their robes were trimmed in these respective colors. The Senshi recognized the figures immediately as the beings they'd met known as the Guardians of the Balance. Orion nodded slowly as the image of her Guardians appeared, and then she began to speak. "In the beginning, there was a Blend. A perfect mixture of dark and light, good and evil, positive and negative energy. And there were three who became the Guardians of the Blend, each one possessing control over a different aspect of existence. Guardian Father," she touched the figure who bore the red stone, "has power over Physical Strength. Guardian Brother," she touched the center figure whose stone was blue, "has power over the Spirit. And Guardian Friend," here she moved to the third figure with the purple stone, "has the power of Wisdom and Intellect. Together, these three Guardians protected the purity of the Blend between forces."   
Orion turned to face the Senshi again. "As the population of the universe grew, however, it became difficult for merely the three of them to watch over everyone and everything. So the Guardians decided to create helpers for themselves. They chose from the people they protected ten warriors who would become the Sailor Soldiers of the universe. These soldiers were chosen for their pure hearts, physical capability and strength of will, and each one would be given power over one of the ten realms of existence. One of them, the one with the strongest soul, would be the Sailors' Leader. This Senshi would be given power over the Realm of Soul itself, and be given the Guardians' most powerful tool, the Imperium Silver Crystal. This Crystal, wielded by a pure heart, would render the Sailor Leader invincible and immortal, the most powerful being in the universe."   
Orion waved her arm again, and the Senshi could see ten silhouettes wearing familiar Sailor fukus step forward from the starry expanse. The one in the center bore a the shining Silver Crystal in its hands. "The Guardians arranged for the Sailor Leader to have only one weakness; the life of the Leader would be directly linked to the Silver Crystal. If the Crystal was ever destroyed the Sailor Leader would die as well; and if the Sailor Leader was ever killed, the Crystal would be destroyed also. In this way the Guardians provided assurance that the Imperium Silver Crystal would never fall into the wrong hands. The Guardians also arranged for the immortality of the souls of each of the ten Sailor Soldiers. However, while they could extend the youth and strength of the Senshi's bodies, they were unable to make the bodies themselves immortal. Instead, they gave each of them a thousand year lifespan, after which the Senshi would die and be reborn. This applied to all the Sailor Senshi except for the Soldier who had been given power over the Realm of Death. The Senshi who controlled Death also had power over Time, and was therefore made completely immortal." As Orion said this all eyes turned to look at Sailor Pluto, realizing that it must be she that Orion was speaking of.   
Sailor Orion took a deep breath and turned to look at the ten silhouettes that had appeared behind her. "The ten Realms that the Senshi were given control of are these: Air." Bubbles and wind appeared and surrounded the first silhouette. "Beauty." Golden hearts and flowers surrounded the second. "Fire." A tower of golden flames and sunlight enveloped the third silhouette. "And Lightning." A crackling greenish burst of electricity swirled around the fourth. "The Senshi given powers over these four realms were made the close protectors of the Sailor Leader, whose power came from the Realm of Soul." A brilliant white light burst from the Silver Crystal to illuminate the center figure. "The next four Realms were more powerful, and these were the Realms of Health," a purple mist rose around the figure on the Sailor Leader's right. "Earth." A golden planet-shaped orb circled the next silhouette. "Water." A turquoise wall of waves surrounded the eighth figure. "And Death." A blood red vapor, mixed with dark clouds, enveloped the ninth. "These four Senshi were to protect the other five from outside threats. And the final Realm, the Realm of Life, went to the tenth Soldier." A shower of roses fell down around the last silhouette. "The Senshi of Life was the personal bodyguard and partner of the Sailor Leader."   
For a moment, Orion did not say anything more, allowing this to sink in. The Senshi watched the ten silhouettes before them, each one feeling strangely connected to one of them. Then Orion spoke again, and her voice had taken on a new sadness. "The Senshi were able to protect the Blend for a while, but it was not to last. The negative energy in the Blend became dissatisfied with its equal position. It found a way to convert small amounts of positive energy into negative energy, and in this manner began to amass strength. The negative force managed to keep its intentions secret from even the Guardians for a long time long enough that it had significantly increased its power beyond the positive force. By the time the Guardians were made aware of it, this new Negaforce had become so strong that they could not stop it. The Negaforce desired absolute, autonomous control of the universe, and to that end it set out to attack the positive forces. The Guardians called upon the power of the Sailor Senshi for help, but all of them including the Leader had been drawn into a battle within themselves, the good fighting the evil, in a power struggle. Not one of the Sailor Soldiers was able to help the Guardians." The Senshi watched in horror as a blackness grew up around the silhouettes, and the darkness and light of the stars began to separate. It was plain to see that the darkness was much larger than the light, and the Senshi were horrified.   
Sailor Orion continued, her light voice carrying well throughout the Music Sphere. "The Negaforce continued to convert positive energy into negative energy until there was scarcely any positive energy left. The Guardians were at a loss for what to do, and retreated to the Celestial Hall, the very center of the universe, in order to try and plan a resistance of some sort to the Negaforce's power. The Negaforce succeeded in gaining almost complete control of the Sailor Senshi, and the Silver Crystal fell into its control along with the Sailor Leader. The Guardians knew that if they did not hurry, the Negaforce would find a way to corrupt the purity of the Silver Crystal so it could be used against them, and then all would be lost, for the Negaforce did not understand that without the positive energy it would not be able to exist. If it was able to obliterate the positive energies as it hoped, the Negaforce itself would cease to exist, as would everything." The ten silhouettes dissolved away and a new image appeared, the image of a stone fortress or castle that seemed to float in the middle of space. Somehow the Senshi recognized it as the Celestial Hall.   
"Finally the Guardians did indeed develop a plan. It was a great risk, but it was the only chance they had. Using the power of the most powerful tool they had, the Book of the Blend, which was a record of the Guardian's development of the universe since the dawn of time, the Guardians were able to create, in effect, a new and separate universe. Their plan was to seal the Negaforce into this separate universe, away from the weakened, battered positive forces, until the Posiforce had a chance to recover the damage and to gain enough strength to fight back. But in order to seal the Negaforce away, they had to get it to throw an overwheming percentage of its power into the Book of the Blend, and then they had to hope that the Silver Crystal would still be pure enough that it would not be carried along with the Negaforce into the new universe. If the Negaforce could not carry the Silver Crystal into the new universe then the Guardians could use its power to seal the new universe away so that the Negaforce would be trapped forever. This was the plan." The Senshi watched the image of the Celestial Hall as the three robed Guardians appeared at the top of the roof. Two of them held the Book up, opening it so that its glowing pages could be seen, and the third one waited. "Using the Book of the Blend as bait, for the Negaforce had long coveted the Book's power, the three Guardians were able to coerce the Negaforce to throw itself at the Book." The massive expanse of blackness that had been swirling around the Celestial Hall suddenly gathered itself and shot down towards the open Book. Usagi gasped aloud as she recognized the images they'd seen this once before, when the Guardians had shown them the Book to explain the Sacred Child. The two Guardians holding the Book were knocked backwards by the power, and the Negaforce did indeed disappear into the pages. The Senshi watched as a small, shining thing bounced against the pages and rolled to the feet of the third Guardian. He picked it up and shouted something, and there was a howl of rage and fury from within the Book as the Negaforce realized it had been a trap.  
"We've seen this before," Sailor Mars pointed out.   
Sailor Orion nodded. "Yes. But you were not told the whole story. The Guardians did not explain to you what had happened to the Senshi." They all watched as the ten silhouettes reappeared, hovering above the Celestial Hall. "In the Great Division of the forces, something occurred to the Sailor Senshi that even the Guardians had not predicted. Each Senshi split into two, the dark side following the Negaforce, and the light side staying with the Posiforce. The dark sides were sealed away into the Negaverse and became known as the Sailor Constellations. The light sides remaining became the Sailor Planets. The odd thing was that the Sailor Planets were made up of nine women and one man, while the Sailor Constelletions were nine men and one woman. You Sailor Senshi are the Sailor Planets Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Tuxedo Kamen. Your counterparts, the Negaforce Senshi, became known as Orion, Aquarius, Gemini, Pheonix, Draco, Scorpio, Taurus, Delphinus, Libra and Lady Slipper. This is why, when I appear in my original form, I am a man." The Senshi saw the ten sihouettes split then, the dark sides diving into the Book after the rest of the Negaforce, and they recognized the remaining figures as themselves.  
Sailor Jupiter shook her head. "But that still doesn't explain why you're here with us, now," she pointed out, and Orion nodded.  
"That is correct, Jupiter. And that is the reason I brought you here." She turned back to the image of the Celestial Hall, where the ten Sailor Planets were still hovering over the Guardians. "You see, the creation of the Negaverse was a success, and there came a time of peace and rebuilding as the Posiforce began to heal. The Sailor Senshi assisted with this as best they could, and the Sailor Leader was so loved by the people for her selfless efforts to help them that she was hailed Queen of the Posiforce. She became Queen Serenity, ruler of the Posiverse, and under her gentle leadership the Posiverse thrived and grew stronger. Queen Serenity chose to marry Tuxedo Kamen, the Senshi of Life who was her bodyguard, for she had fallen in love with him. Together they had a daughter, the Princess Serenity. And when the Guardians met the young Princess who was so like her mother, they decided it would be wise to make her a Sailor Senshi also. The Princess became known as Sailor ChibiMoon. She would inherit her mother's power upon her mother's death, and rule in her place. The Guardians arranged then that the firstborn of Sailor ChibiMoon would always be a daughter, the reborn Sailor Leader. And when the Sailor Leader was matured and had taken her place as queen, she would again marry the reborn Tuxedo Kamen and the Princess would be reborn as their daughter. This eternal cycle would provide stability for the power of the Sailor Leader and the Silver Crystal, as either mother or daughter would be able to use it, and therefore the Posiverse would never be without a Leader." Usagi's face was now scrunched up in confusion, but slowly that confusion cleared as she watched an image of herself and Tuxedo Kamen, with a small pinkhaired child between them. That pink-haired child slowly grew, right before her eyes, and when she had become an adult the pink hair turned white and a crown appeared on her forehead. Usagi gasped again.   
"That's that's Queen Serenity, my mother from the Silver Millennium!" she exclaimed in shock.  
Sailor Orion nodded. "Yes, Princess. Your mother from the Silver Millennium is actually the reborn spirit of your daughter. And ChibiMoon is the reborn spirit of your mother from the Silver Millennium. That is the way of the eternal cycle. And now you see why it is so important that you not abandon her now. The universe needs her, just as it needs you and just as your daughter needs you."   
Usagi felt tears come to her eyes as she looked up at Tuxedo Kamen. He met her eyes wordlessly, understanding and awe in his face, and he bent down to kiss her lips gently. For the first time since the death of ChibiMoon, Usagi did not pull away. This was more than just destiny. This was what she wanted and besides, Chibiusa needed her. Perhaps she wasn't such a bad mother after all. Orion and the other Senshi watched this exchange with smiles of approbation, and Orion felt a wave of relief wash through her. It would be all right now, now that Usagi understood. Everything would be all right.  
Sailor Venus turned back towards Orion then. "And how exactly do you fit into all this?" she wanted to know. "You still haven't told us that."  
Sailor Orion sighed. "I know. I'll show you." She turned back towards the images hovering before them. "The Guardians did not realize that everything that occurred in the Posiverse was reflected in the Negaverse counterparts. As Sailor Moon was declared Queen of the Posiverse, Sailor Orion was made King of the Negaverse. He called himself the Avatar, the incarnation of the Negaforce itself. Just as Sailor Moon married Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Orion married Lady Slipper, the Negaverse Senshi of Life, and together they had a son. When the Guardians made the Princess into Sailor ChibiMoon, the Avatar's son became Sailor ChibiOri. And when the life and rebirth cycle was set into place for Sailor Moon, the same occurred for Sailor Orion."  
"You're telling us that woman we met in the Doomsday Gate was your wife?" Sailor Neptune asked incredulously, and Orion nodded.  
"Yes. She was but you must understand that in the Negaverse there is no such thing as love. Lady Slipper and I shared the bonds of ambition and power, but not love. Love does not exist there." There was infinite sadness in the silver eyes. "During the third cycle, when Sailor Orion was reborn as the Prince of Darkness and was just beginning to come into his powers, he discovered a tiny flaw in the seal that bound the Negaverse from the Posiverse. He began to expand this flaw, working at it until he had created an actual gap in the seal. Still he kept it a secret, laboring for months until he had built a Gate, firm and powerful, that would allow passage between the two universes. When the Gate was complete, the Prince of Darkness led a full-scale invasion of the Posiforce, determined to take it over this time around. The Posiverse was caught by surprise, and they were still not strong enough to fight against the overwhelming power of the Negaforce. The Sailor Planets fought back valiantly, however, and because they had the Silver Crystal on their side they were able to put up a good fight. The Constellations and the Planets battled for a long time, and many died. Sailor Orion made the destruction of the Sailor Planets his primary goal, and to that end he built the Soul Dissolver. However, Sailor Orion had not expected the effect that the Posiforce would have upon him. He found the love of the Sailor Planets to be both bewildering and fascinating. He wanted to experience that love for himself, but he could not comprehend what love was or how it worked. Orion used the Soul Dissolver one time, on a Posiverse planet, wiping out billions of lives. He had killed thousands before, but the actual complete genocide of what he had done struck him deeply. Orion could not understand why death of his enemies would bother him, and his own Senshi were beginning to question his leadership as he began to make very illogical command decisions. Finally, during one of the biggest battles, Sailor Gemini, Lady Slipper and the others chose to betray Orion over to the Posiforce and take command themselves, seeing Orion as a weak link to be eliminated."   
The Senshi watched as a battlefield shimmered before their eyes, and recognized the form of the Prince of Darkness lying in a bloodied heap on the ground. The air began to glow around him, and suddenly Sailor Moon appeared next to him. She knelt down beside the fallen Negaverse Prince and spoke to him, and they held a conversation for a few moments. "Sailor Moon decided to show Orion the love which he longed for so much and she purified his spirit from all the evil power that had been stored up there for so long." A bright light emanated from Sailor Moon's locket, enveloping the Prince of Darkness and lifting him off the ground. The long, wild black hair lightened and paled into a shade that was almost white. The pitch-black eyes focused and became a silvery blue. The billowing black cape shrunk down into a familiar sailor collar, and the wide shoulders and straight hips gave way to curves and long legs. When Orion's feet were returned to the ground, the Senshi recognized this new form as the Sailor Orion they had come to know still towering over Sailor Moon but a completely different person.   
"From that day forward, I became a Soldier fighting on the Posiverse's side. With my tactical knowledge and Sailor Moon's Crystal, we were actually able to drive the Negaforce back a little. And when it came time to close the Gate, it was Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen and myself who developed the plan for the Sacred Sacrifice. Because I had been the one to create the Doomsday Gate in the first place, I volunteered for the Sacrifice myself. No one wanted to allow me to do it, but there was no choice, and so the Sacrifice was carried out. The Gate was sealed, at least for the next thousand years until my rebirth. And every thousand years ever since, I once again give up my soul to seal the Gate so that the Posiverse will be safe from the invention of my own hands." Sailor Orion met the eyes of each of the others, and it was now so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop. They all stared at her, and Orion shook her head slowly. "So now you know the story," she said quietly. "And now you know who I am. You may not trust me, still, but I hope that you will be able to sense the truth of what I have shown you. If you do not believe it, just look into yourselves you were there, millennia ago, when I joined you. And you know that what I have said is true."  
The Senshi remained silent, thinking, and discovered that Orion was right. And inexplicable feeling of acceptance was there in each of their hearts, telling them that this was the truth. Even Uranus knew it, deep inside, although she despised the certainty there. Sailor Orion was not the enemy anymore. Sailor Pluto was nodding slowly, and finally she spoke. "I remember the things you have spoken of now, Orion," she declared softly. "I remember the sacrifices you made and the transformation you underwent to become one of us. It's all true." The others nodded as well, and Orion gave a weary smile.  
"I was a monster," Sailor Orion admitted. "And I will not deny what I was or what I have done. If any of you wish to hate me I will not blame you for it. But you have my word, my promise, that I will never use my powers against any of you again. Never again will I be your enemy. And you, Princess" she turned towards Usagi. "You are my savior and my Queen. I will serve you with my life until the end of time."   
The Senshi looked at one another and something about the way the tears sparkled in the silver eyes made them certain that Orion meant every word.

[Back to Part Twenty][2]  
[On to Part Twenty-Two][3]  
[Back to the Library][4]  
[Back to the Refuge][5]

   [1]: snowonthesahara.mid
   [2]: fanfic20.htm
   [3]: fanfic22.htm
   [4]: library.htm
   [5]: SailorOrion.htm



	22. Round two! Lady Slipper steps up to the ...

[Click here to listen to the Part Twenty-Two soundtrack while you read!][1]

Part Twenty-Two: Round two! Lady Slipper steps up to the fight

"Chibiusa-chan?" Princess Serenity inquired softly as Shinzui opened the heavy oaken door. Shinzui smiled and laid a finger to her lips, then pointed into the room where the small pink-haired princess was curled up on the bed, asleep.  
A lump formed in Serenity's throat as she gazed at her future child. The Guardians had said that shortly after Orion had taken them into the Music Sphere, the Neo Moon Princess' form had begun to solidify once more, and in a few minutes her condition had stabilized considerably. Shinzui told her that it was her reconciliation with Mamoru that had saved her daughter's life, and as Serenity moved to the little girl's bedside she found herself wondering how she ever could have been willing to give her up.   
Serenity felt a warm, comforting hand on her shoulder, and looked up to meet Endymion's eyes. He was smiling warmly at both her and their child, and her heart caught in her throat how could she have ever even considered leaving him? At that moment, with his hand on her shoulder and her daughter's hand in her own, Serenity had never felt more complete or more right. This was her family. These were the people she loved most in the world the people she was fighting to protect. And they were safe, all thanks to Sailor Orion.  
Princess Serenity looked over at Shinzui then, her eyes sparkling with tears, and she took a few steps toward her. "Thank you, Shinzui-san," she said quietly, regally. "Thank you so much for not allowing me to give this up."  
There it was the queenlike dignity and grace that Shinzui recognized and respected so. In reply, she reached out and accepted Serenity's outstretched hand, and then before the Princess could protest she had dropped to one knee before her, pressing the soft hand to her lips in a kiss of obedience and gratitude. When Shinzui looked up, her own silvery-gray eyes were misty. "Princess you gave me everything I have. You showed me mercy and love when I didn't even understand the meaning of those words. You wouldn't let me give up and I will always be here to do the same for you." She lowered her head again, this time touching Serenity's hand to her forehead. "Always."  
At any other time Serenity would have felt awkward with someone showing such obeisance to her, but something felt different about this. Instinctively she knew that this was important to Shinzui; that kneeling to her and showing her devotion meant a lot to her. And so instead of giggling nervously or pulling her hand away, Serenity gently pulled Shinzui to her feet. She wanted to wrap the taller girl in a hug, but she knew that now was not the time for it, and so instead she only smiled.  
"Daddy?" Serenity turned around to see the Neo Moon Princess' eyes flutter open, and the girl sat up to reach for Endymion.  
Endymion smiled at the child. "Hello, Small Lady. Did you have a good nap?" He sat down on the edge of the bed and the pink-haired girl wriggled into his lap.  
She blinked sleepily a few times and looked around her. "Wait where are we?"  
"This is the Celestial Hall, Small Lady," Shinzui replied gently. "You were sick, remember? I went to get Sailor Moon and help her make you better, and it worked."  
The large russet eyes then came to rest on Serenity, and the Moon Princess felt a sudden knot of apprehension in her chest, recalling the little girl's last words to her: _"I hate you. I hate all of you. I hope you all die!"_ What if she still hadn't forgiven her and the other Senshi for leaving her behind? What if this had been a mistake?   
But a moment later all her worries dissolved away, for her future daughter flew off Endymion's lap and went charging towards her with her arms out. "Mommy!" she giggled happily. Serenity's eyes spilled over then as she took the child into her arms, and after a few more giggles, the Neo Moon Princess pulled back to observe her face with childish concern. "Are you crying, Mommy?"  
Serenity smiled, a bit uncertainly, through her tears. "I'm I'm not exactly your Mommy yet, Chibiusa-chan. I'm Usagi, remember?"  
The little girl froze for a moment as she considered this. But finally she shrugged. "Well, you will be someday, right?" she wanted to know.  
Serenity met Endymion's eyes. "Yes. I will," she responded firmly. "Someday I will."  
"Good." The small princess nodded with satisfaction.   
Princess Serenity's eyes widened a bit at the response. "You mean you don't mind? I mean, having me for a mother. I know I'm klutzy and silly and I eat all your snacks, and I don't take care of you the way that I ought to. And when Lord Narcissus shot you I didn't even move. Are you sure you don't mind having a scaredy-cat for a mommy?"  
The pink ponytails bounced and the child giggled again. "Well I'm a scaredy-cat too," she admitted cheerfully. "But we still always get the bad guys, don't we?" Her young face became more serious then. "Besides, my Mommy is the bravest person in the whole universe. When people need her, she's there. My mommy saved Crystal Tokyo and she saved me and she's nice and pretty. Even if she does eat my snacks." The little girl threw her arms around Serenity's neck. "I love you, Usagi-chan."  
The Moon Princess' eyes spilled over again as she held her daughter close. "I love you, too," she whispered. Then both of them felt two big, strong arms encircling them as Prince Endymion joined the family moment.  
"And I love both my girls," he declared pleasantly, looking down into Serenity's crystal blue eyes. "No one will ever take that away from us."   
After a long hug, Small Lady looked around the room. "Hey, where did Shinzui-san go?" she inquired.  
The Prince and Princess looked at one another again, and then back at their future daughter. "Uh, Small Lady, there are some things we need to tell you about Shinzui," Endymion began.  
Serenity nodded. "Come over here," she said quietly, carrying the little girl back and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I think we should all sit down for this."  
As the newly reunited Moon family began to converse in low tones, Shinzui quietly shut the door. It was important to give them all some time to themselves. Gathering up the skirts of her long white dress in one hand, she headed back down the hall to report to the Guardians. Everything was going to be all right.

The slender woman bowed low as she approached the throne, a hideous contraption fashioned to look like thousands of clawed, grasping hands. The end of her long, rose colored braid coiled into a pile as she bent down, and then slowly drew up again as she stood. "You summoned me, Avatar?"  
"I did." The soft cruelty of the voice resonated through the throne room of the Palace. "I understand you had an encounter with that traitorous son of mine."  
Lady Slipper flushed a little and nodded. "Yes, your greatness. Orion resumed his true form in order to protect the Sailor Planets."  
There was a low, dangerous growl of rage. "He destroyed the Soul Dissolver?"  
"Yes, your greatness. And Lord Narcissus is dead."  
"It's about time. I was beginning to wonder how long Orion was going to put up with him. I almost eliminated Narcissus myself." The shadowed figure on the throne shifted his weight slightly. "However, the bumbling fool has cost us enough time. The vernal equinox is swiftly approaching. I want the Silver Dagger, in my possession, before those Guardians and their ridiculous little Sacred Child get their hands on it."  
Lady Slipper's ice-green eyes narrowed slightly. "Your greatness Orion may have switched sides but he has not lost any of his power. He and the Guardians have always defeated us before. How can we hope to prevail against them this time?"  
There was a dark chuckle. "Insolent as always, eh, Lady Slipper? But never fear. There is something different about this lifetime. I can feel it as I feel my own breath. Something is going to happen this time, Lady Slipper something that will change everything. I believe that this time we shall succeed where we have failed. The Posiverse and its Guardians and pitiful Sailor Planets will be wiped out and under our control at last."  
The Negaverse woman's eyes lit up at that. "If that is true, Avatar, then I ask that you allow me to take over Narcissus' work at the Doomsday Gate. If we are truly to defeat the Posiverse, I want to have a part in it."  
"I had hoped you would say that, Lady Slipper," the Avatar responded with black glee. "Because it is my intention to promote you to Narcissus' position and if you are successful, I will reward you with power beyond your wildest imaginings." He chuckled again. "And I do know how wild your imagination can be."  
Lady Slipper bowed once more. "I will not fail you, Avatar," she declared. "I have been developing a strategy which I am certain will lead us to the Dagger in a most efficient manner."  
"I thought as much," the Avatar replied calmly. "You always were the entrepeneur, Lady Slipper. So tell me what is this little plan of yours?"  
A venomous smile spread over the pretty features. "When Narcissus had the Senshi in the Doomsday Gate, I realized that if the Dagger has been reabsorbed into the blood of a human, the most likely human would be one who possesses great purity, power and strength. Someone like a Sailor Senshi."  
The figure on the throne nodded. "That is true."  
"Lord Narcissus and I tested two of them, Uranus and Neptune but neither was the carrier."  
"That leaves eight," the Avatar surmised, "and we mustn't forget about my dear sweet little counterpart, Sailor ChibiMoon. She might be the carrier as well."  
Lady Slipper nodded. "I will check the blood of each of them, one by one, until we find the Dagger. And after that, your greatness the Posiverse is yours for the taking."  
There was more soft, cruel laughter from the Avatar. "A reasonable plan, Lady Slipper. But you have forgotten one thing. The Sailor Planets stand together, always. If you seek out one the others are sure to follow. How do you intend to accomplish this testing of their blood without getting yourself killed?"  
Lady Slipper gave a giggle of amusement. "Why, it's very simple, your greatness. Orion may be on the other side now, but he could never kill me. I was his wife his new-found purity will not allow him to destroy me. And as for the other Senshi, well, you and I both know that I outpower any one of them."  
"Except Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Kamen," the Avatar pointed out.  
"By the time that gallant caped hero and his backwards little princess get there, I'll have retrieved the information I needed and be long gone," Lady Slipper declared positively.  
"You'd better hope you are right about that, Lady Slipper," the Avatar warned then, his tones no longer amused. "Sailor Moon may be ignorant and childish, but she is the most powerful being in existence even more so than the Guardians of the Balance. With the Imperium Silver Crystal under her command she is a formidable enemy, one that even you could not hope to defeat, Lady Slipper. Do not undersestimate her powers."  
Lady Slipper inclined her head in agreement. "Yes, your greatness."  
The shadowy figure seated on the throne of hands nodded slowly. "However, I do approve of your plan to capture the Silver Dagger. Go after the Sailor Planets but do it with caution. Tell me which of them shall be your first target?"  
Lady Slipper lifted a rose-colored eyebrow. "I thought I would begin with the easiest one of all Sailor Saturn is currently in her infancy and will be no challenge."  
The Avatar chuckled. "You really are ambitious, aren't you, Lady Slipper? Going after the most deadly of the Senshi first. But you're right, as she is currently a child she is not likely to be much of a threat. Be wary, however. Saturn has close ties to the others. You may not have much time to accomplish your purpose before her little friends show up."  
Lady Slipper bowed again, backed away three steps, then turned and swirled out of the throne room. The Silver Dagger would be theirs, this time. And Orion Orion would finally pay for his betrayal. She'd see to that. Sailor Orion was going to pay dearly.

Haruka ran a hand through her hair and sighed, staring out the window at the falling snow with a dark expression in her gray eyes. This whole new turn of events with Orion was taking a heavy toll. At first, she'd been disgusted to learn of Orion's past; but her disgust had been accompanied by an odd sort of satisfaction. After all, she now had an excuse for the feelings of rage that welled up inside every time she was in Orion's presence. It had been almost a relief to know that her feelings of hate and revulsion were actually justified but now she was questioning herself again.   
She knew, deep down, that everything Sailor Orion had shown them in the Music Sphere was true. This was a certainty that she could not get rid of. She could feel it in her own heart and knew that Orion had not been lying to them about her conversion. She had been an enemy; she was not anymore. If anything she was a hero, giving up her life for Sailor Moon's over and over again. Haruka was not sure that even she could say that. She could not remember her previous lifetimes, or her previous deaths she could only hope that she had spent each lifetime serving Sailor Moon as devotedly as Orion had.  
But if Orion was no longer an enemy, then why did this intense spite fill her every time she came into contact with her? Haruka didn't understand it. It was a disturbing prospect these feelings were so deep, so instinctual, that Haruka wasn't sure she could control them. They were like a heavy, dark monster lurking inside her head, a beast that she had no power over. Every time she laid eyes on the tall pale-haired Senshi her blood started to heat and she could feel that black monster clawing away at her brain. Haruka was more than willing to acknowledge that she was a warrior and like any true warrior she had experienced the bloodlust and exhilerating, murderous glory that came with a battle. But this hate, this terrifying rage, was more intense and more violent than anything she'd ever felt before. If she didn't know better, she'd call it evil.  
The tomboyish blond shook her head again. Something had to be done about this it was obvious that she couldn't avoid Sailor Orion forever. They were going to have to fight together if they hoped to find the Silver Dagger in time. Haruka just prayed that she could hang onto her sanity at least until after the sacrifice, when Orion would be dead and she wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. In the meantime, Haruka would just have to keep on fighting the darkness inside herself, keeping it down and locked up, so that she wouldn't hurt anyone else.  
"Haruka?"  
She felt Michiru's soft hand on her shoulder, as her teal-haired roommate sat down on the window seat next to her. She tried to smile at her friend, but all she could manage was a tight half-smirk.  
"Thinking about Orion again?" Michiru's aqua eyes were soft. Haruka didn't answer; she knew she wouldn't have to. The expression on her face was enough as she returned her gaze to the falling snow. Michiru paused a moment in understanding, and she too turned to look out the window. "It's so pretty out there," she mused softly. "Almost like a dream, so quiet and soft and simple. I think that's what life is supposed to be like for regular people." It was silent for a moment as they both watched the floating white flakes. "People make life so much harder than it is, you know," she continued. "All the bickering and fighting and cruelty they get upset over little things and they have no idea what true evil looks like. So they miss out on the real value of love." Michiru looked back at Haruka again, and reached out to take one of the long-fingered, calloused hands in her own soft white ones. Haruka met her eyes at this touch, and Michiru smiled. "You and I, Haruka we're different from most other people. All the Senshi are. We know what evil looks like. We've stared it in the face. And because of that we also understand how precious things like friendship, life and love really are."  
Haruka considered these words for a second, and Michiru smiled gently. "Haruka, Orion spent years of her life in the Negaverse, where things like love and friendship don't even exist. I can't even imagine living like that. And now that she's here now that she's found us, and learned what it means to love and care for someone else, she's been giving everything she has in order to preserve our world from being destroyed. I'm not going to pretend to understand these feelings you have concerning her but maybe if you keep her past in mind those feelings won't be so strong."  
Haruka bit her lip to keep from responding. As gentle and helpful as Michiru was trying to be, she was right she didn't understand. These feelings weren't related to anything that she knew about Orion. They were completely independent of knowledge and reason. And that was what worried her. Still, she mustered a smile that she hoped would be more convincing than the first and nodded. "_Arigatou_, Michiru." 

"Can I help you?" The young child-care worker gazed curiously at the beautiful woman who'd just entered the classroom.  
"Yes I'm here to pick up Tomoe Hotaru I'm her new nanny." The woman with the long rose-colored braid lifted one hand to remove her sunglasses. A pair of bright sea-green eyes stared down at the teacher, who shifted nervously.  
"Um all right. Are you on her pick-up authorization form? And I'll need to see some ID." The woman did not respond, just stared down at the teacher coolly. There was hardness in her eyes that the teacher did not like, and so she fumbled with some of the papers on the desk. "Okay uh if you'll just wait right here I'll go get the director and he can authorize"  
"That won't be necessary." The teacher looked up and found her eyes captured by the woman's mesmerizing green ones. In a moment she forgot completely what it was she had been intending to do it felt like a dream or a trance she looked down and vaguely recognized the fact that the woman had a flower held a few inches beneath her nose. The scent was sweet, almost too sweet, and she started to feel a little dizzy. The woman smiled venomously at her. "Now where can I find Tomoe Hotaru?"  
"She's out on the playground," the teacher responded numbly.  
The rose-haired woman nodded with satisfaction, and the flower between her fingers disappeared. She spun on her heel and left the classroom, and the hapless young teacher sank down into the chair behind the desk, still muttering to herself dazedly. "On the play ground. On the play ground. On the"  
Lady Slipper grinned coldly to herself as she stepped out onto the playground. That had been even easier than she'd expected. The children were all busy making snowmen, snow angels and snow forts. Lady Slipper put her sunglasses back on to shield her delicate eyes from the glaring light reflecting off the snow, and scanned the playground until she'd spotted her target.   
"Right there," she chuckled softly to herself as her gaze fell on the chubby little dark-haired girl playing in one corner. The child was giggling as she made tiny butterflies out of the snow. Lady Slipper's eyes narrowed as she watched baby Hotaru carefully shape the wings. For a moment the baby's violet eyes were glowing, and then the snow-butterfly suddenly began to move, flying into the air and circling the little girl's head before melting into tiny, crystalline drops. Hotaru clapped her hands happily and set about making another butterfly. Lady Slipper nodded to herself. There was no mistaking it that was Sailor Saturn, all right. Lady Slipper would recognize the signs of the Realm of Health anywhere.  
She reached into the pocket of her long mink coat, fingering the small, sharp knife she'd hidden there. "Like taking candy from a baby," the evil woman quipped, and grinned cruelly as she began to advance across the snow.

"Aren't you late?" Centauri prodded gently, watching his mistress as she moved carefully about the kitchen preparing a pot of tea. Shinzui smiled in his direction but did not answer, and the golden retriever shook his head. "You're not going, are you?"  
Shinzui shook her head, feeling about in the cupboards for the tea tins. "No. I don't know that they're ready to see me yet. The Prince and Princess are back together and the Moon Family is safe right now that's what's important. I think they should all have a little time to themselves now, to breathe and think things through. When they're ready they'll come to me."  
"But Shinzui, surely Chibiusa should not have to miss out on a piano lesson just because Usagi and the others have found out about your past."  
Shinzui cocked a pale eyebrow. "How would you feel about receiving a music lesson from a person whom you just learned was your archenemy from another lifetime?" She lifted the tea tins to her face, inhaling the aromas until she located the spicy orange herbal one she'd been searching for. Setting it aside, she began to put the rest of the tins back into the cupboard. "Missing one lesson will not hurt but it could cause greater damage if I were to force my presence upon them before they're ready to see me."  
Centauri sighed. Shinzui was always thinking this way that her very existence was a burden to the people she cared for. He wished that there was something he could do to convince her otherwise, but he was only a dog, after all. He might be Shinzui's best friend but he could never replace her fellow soldiers. In a moment, however, his worries were dissolved, because Shinzui's head suddenly snapped up, and a giant smile spread over her face. He knew that smile and sure enough, about a minute later there came a knock at their apartment door.  
Shinzui went to the door and opened it. "Princess," she said softly, greeting Usagi. "Small Lady Rei-chan Ami-chan Mako-chan Minako-chan." She nodded to each of the six girls standing in her doorway. "And Luna and Artemis. Please, come in." The girls did not have to ask now how it was she'd recognized all of them without her sight they were becoming more and more acquainted with the astonishing abilities of their blind friend.  
"Are you okay, Shinzui-san?" Chibiusa demanded scarcely after she'd entered the room. "How come you didn't come for my lesson today?"  
Shinzui smiled, her blind gaze gentle. "I wasn't sure I would be welcome." Chibiusa opened her mouth to protest loudly, but Shinzui shook her head. "Come, all of you. Take a seat. I was just making some tea. Would you like to join me?"  
Usagi's eyes grew wider when she saw the plate of small cookies and cakes that Shinzui had prepared. But before she could make a dive for the counter, Rei had seized her wrist and glared at her. Then the dark-haired priestess turned to Shinzui calmly. "We'd like that," she responded, and still holding Usagi's wrist, dragged the ponytailed blond over to the cream-colored couch in Shinzui's living room. Luna followed them, shaking her head at another of her mistress' faults.  
"Ow!! Rei-chan!" Usagi protested, and Makoto and Ami exchanged amused glances. Makoto turned towards the blind girl with a nod.   
"Tea would be very nice, Shinzui-san," she responded politely, and turned with the others to join Rei and Usagi. Shinzui smiled, and in a minute the teakettle on the stove began to whistle. She went to remove it, and the room was suddenly filled with the sweet, pungent orange aroma as she carefully poured the boiling water over the tea in her teapot. The other girls watched her work with interest it never ceased to amaze them how Shinzui, being blind, could continue to perform normal tasks just as efficiently and easily as a seeing person might. Arranging the teapot, seven Japanese teacups, and three small china bowls onto a tray, Shinzui brought the tea and the plate of cookies over to the low table in the living room.  
Once there she did not sit down, but proceeded to pour the tea into the cups, and handed the first cup, along with a large cookie and generous piece of cake, to Usagi with a low, dignified bow. If she hadn't been so serious about it the others would have started giggling. It was a little absurd to them to see Shinzui treating their airheaded, greedy little friend with such intense respect. But now that they knew the story behind it they could not help looking at Shinzui in a new light; no wonder she adored Usagi so. Usagi had saved her from a world of cruelty and betrayal and brought her into theirs. This was something only Usagi would have had the soft-heartedness and compassion to do, and suddenly the situation did not seem quite so absurd. Shinzui served Chibiusa next, and then all the others, with the same grace and hospitality. When she was finished she poured a small amount of tea into one of the bowls on the tray, added a few drops of milk and a spoonful of sugar, and set it down on the white carpeted floor. Centauri walked over and began to drink his tea too, careful not to spill any on the carpet. Shinzui smiled up in Usagi's direction.  
"Would Luna and Artemis like some as well?" she inquired sweetly.  
Luna's eyebrows flew up as she and Artemis stared at one another. "Well my I don't know," Luna answered in surprise. "I don't believe we've ever taken tea with the girls before." Artemis was nodding in agreement.  
Centauri looked up from his bowl and smiled at them. "You should try it," he encouraged. "It's very good."  
The two cats exchanged another glance, and then nodded. Shinzui made two more bowls of tea, complete with milk and sugar, and placed them down near Centauri's. Luna and Artemis left their mistress' laps in order to get down from the couch and taste their tea and after the first few licks they both started purring. "Very good, Shinzui-san," Artemis nodded.   
"Yes, thank you," Luna affirmed. Shinzui smiled as the two cats went back to drinking their tea and conversing in low tones with Centauri. She straightened up, poured the last of the tea into a cup for herself, and then picked up the teapot, preparing to return to the kitchen and refill it. But Usagi shook her head through a mouthful of crumbs.  
"Shinzui-san, wait a little, please. We wanted to talk to you."  
Shinzui seemed a bit surprised, but she nodded obediently and sat down on the floor in front of the low table. She was so tall that she was still nearly eye level with Usagi though that didn't really matter since she couldn't see her, anyway. "What is it, Princess?" the blind girl responded, settling herself and picking up her own teacup.  
Usagi swallowed her mouthful of cake. "Well, we were talking about the stuff you showed us," she began. "And like you said, we all somehow just know that it's true. And you brought Mamo-chan and I together again."  
"So I'm still here," Chibiusa tossed in happily.  
"Anyway, Shinzui-san, we just wanted you to know that we're not mad at you anymore we understand now what you did, and we know you're our friend. We want to keep looking for the Dagger with you." Ami spoke up, summarizing everything they'd agreed upon during their last meeting.  
The other girls were nodding. "You're a great friend, Shinzui-san," Minako added.  
"And a really awesome fighter," Makoto agreed.  
"You've been protecting all of us from the beginning, and we would have died in the Doomsday Gate if it weren't for you," said Rei firmly. "We understand know about the past and how you used to be our enemy, but you're on our side now you saved our butts from the Negaverse and from what we understand you've been saving us in every lifetime for much farther back than we can remember."  
Usagi grinned then. "You're a cool person, Shinzui-san, and you make really good cake. We want to be your friends again."  
The blind girl listened to all of this, and they could see tears in her sightless gray eyes as she smiled at them. "I'm so glad you all feel that way," she replied in that tinkling, silvery voice. "Because I would like, very much, to have you all as my friends."  
The other girls nodded and smiled, and Usagi leaned across the table to give Shinzui an enthusiatic, if somewhat awkward, hug. Shinzui accepted the hug with an enormous smile. And then, as Usagi sat back down and they all began to chatter happily, Shinzui picked up the teapot to take it to the kitchen.  
All of a sudden there came a crash and the sound of shattering china. The girls in the living room looked up in shock to see Shinzui standing there, the pretty teapot smashed into pieces at her feet. There was an expression of horror on her face. Centauri was by his mistress' side in an instant.  
"Shinzui-san, what on earth--?"  
The blind girl turned towards the others in the room. "Sailor Saturn is in terrible danger," she declared softly. "We have no time to lose."  
"Hotaru-chan?" Chibiusa gasped.  
Shinzui rolled up her sleeve, exposing her bracelet, and then looked down at Centauri who nodded back. "Wait, Shinzui-san, we're coming with you," Usagi announced, rising to her feet. The others set their teacups down on the table and produced their henshin pens.  
"Mercury Star Power!"  
"Mars Star Power!"  
"Jupiter Star Power!"  
"Venus Star Power!"   
"Moon Prism Power!"  
"Cosmic Moon Power!"  
Then Centauri called out, "Orion Constellation Power!" and the others joined in with him on the last word.  
"MAKE UP!!!"

"Hey, who are you?" Lady Slipper was interrupted by one of the childcare workers. With a wave of her hand, she sent a blast of power that knocked the poor woman backwards into one of the snowmen the children were working on. This set up a howl among the children, which Lady Slipper ignored. She'd found her target. She was not going to waste any more time on these pitiful humans. She had just managed to reach the dark haired baby and pick her up when a thunderous voice exploded from the other side of the playground.  
"What's going on out here?"   
Lady Slipper, with baby Hotaru still in her arms, spun around to see the white haired, ruby-eyed giant glaring at her. She cursed under her breath. She should have known that the infant Saturn would be under the protection of the Guardians. Neophilus' eyes narrowed. He would have recognized Lady Slipper anywhere; she was one of the few Negaverse Senshi that he'd had the displeasure of meeting.   
"Lady Slipper. You had better put the child down and leave now."  
Lady Slipper leered at him. "Or else what?" she demanded imperiously. "You so much as take one step towards me," she flicked the small knife out of her pocket and held it to the baby's throat. "And I kill her."  
Neophilus gave a snort of amusement. "You know as well as I do that it won't make any difference," he reminded her. "Saturn will just be reborn again."  
The rose-haired woman cocked an eyebrow. "Ah, but I know you, Guardian Father. You value life too much to throw it away." And with that, she proceeded to draw the sharp little blade along the baby's arm. Hotaru shrieked indignantly as the scarlet line welled up. Lady Slipper produced a fire opal from her pocket, which she then waved over the child's arm but nothing happened. Lady Slipper shrugged. "Well, it's not you," she announced casually, slipping the knife and opal back into her pocket.  
Neophilus took another step forward. "Leave the child, or I will destroy you," he declared firmly.   
Lady Slipper looked up at him and sneered. "Now didn't I warn you not to come any closer?" she pointed out. "Congratulations, Guardian Father. You just killed this baby." And she pulled the knife out again, aiming for Hotaru's throat.  
"Hold it right there!" Lady Slipper spun around, to see the familiar ponytailed, dumpling-headed silhouette posing in the snow. Sailor Moon stepped forward into the light, scowling furiously. "How dare you attack a child, you nasty lady! I am a champion for love and justice a pretty Sailor Soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"  
An instant later the forms of Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus and ChibiMoon had also appeared. And then, from behind her, Lady Slipper heard a familiar tinkling giggle.  
"Well, well, my love. I would have expected a little more from you attacking a Sailor Planet. What were you thinking?" Lady Slipper turned to face Sailor Orion, who was standing at Neophilus' side.  
"I'm not your love," the Negaverse woman spat out towards her.  
Sailor Orion cocked an eyebrow. "You never said a truer word, Lady Slipper. You don't even know what love is."  
"I know it makes you weak," Lady Slipper snapped back. "Just look at you, Orion. You used to rule the world and now you're nothing more than a flunky to that little ambitionless brat. It's disgusting."  
Sailor Orion giggled again. "And that's why you will never be able to stop underestimating us, Lady Slipper. Because you cannot comprehend how it is that knowing love makes us strong so much stronger than any ambition could ever be. You attack one of us, you attack us all." Then her eyes narrowed, and her tone lost every ounce of playfulness. "However, if you ever call my Princess a brat again I will be forced to cut your tongue out."  
Lady Slipper's eyes widened now there was the Orion she remembered. Cold and dangerous. Only problem was, Orion was now on the wrong side. Still, she tightened her grip on the knife in her fingers. "Well, ladies, I suppose you showed up just in time then, hmm? Just in time to watch one of your fellow Sailors die. I'll tell you what, though I'll give you a fighting chance." She extended her arm with the knife still in her hand, and tapped the blade three times with her fingernail. A small, black, oily drop of liquid formed at the end of the knife and fell to the ground, expanding as it went. "If you defeat my jaki, you can keep your precious little Saturn. And if it defeats you Saturn is mine." She gave a venomous laugh as the oily substance began to swell and grow and take shape.  
Neophilus turned towards Orion. "Shall I destroy it now?" he wanted to know with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "It wouldn't take much."  
But Orion shook her head. "No. In light of recent events, I think we could all use a good fight to clear the air." She grinned. "But if it does look like it's getting the best of us, feel free to step in."  
Neophilus nodded and they both turned to watch as the jaki formed itself. Lady Slipper giggled to herself. "I think you'll find my new breed of jaki to be a bit more challenging than Lord Narcissus' incompetent creatures were," she boasted to the Senshi, taking a step back, with baby Hotaru still in her arms. "Have fun!"  
Sailor Jupiter growled under her breath. "You bet we will," she muttered, glaring at the ugly, shiny black monster as it finished its development and began searching around for a human to drain. Settling on the sailor-suited soldiers in front of it, the creature licked its swollen lips and took a step forward.  
"Human juice!"  
"I don't think so, ugly," Sailor Jupiter snarled, and clenched her fist so that the lightning rod on her tiara began to crackle. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" She released the silvery, glittering disc of power towards the jaki. The creature grunted as the attack struck its midsection, but a moment later all the Senshi's mouths dropped open to see Jupiter's disc passing right through the jaki and exiting from the back.   
"Watch out, Orion," Neophilus warned, stepping aside as the shimmering electrical energy brushed past his face and finally slammed into the door of the daycare building. Neophilus turned to make sure that all of the children that had been out on the playground were now safely inside, and then he turned back to watch. The jaki did not seem at all disgruntled by Jupiter's attack. In fact, it barely hesitated before continuing to advance on the Senshi.  
Lady Slipper watched this attack thoughtfully. Sailor Jupiter's lightning had a brilliant silver sheen to it. _I wonder _she mused inwardly, with a crafty smile. _The Silver Dagger-- it is possible that one who has such a silver power could be the host._  
"Burning Mandala!" Sailor Mars cried out. The glowing fiery orbs surrounded her, concentrated themselves, and blasted straight for the evil spirit. But these, too, also merely passed right through it. This time it was Sailor Orion who had to step aside to avoid being struck.  
"Venus Lovely Chain!"  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"  
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"  
All three attacks, fired at the same time, converged and combined themselves before striking the monster. They still passed through it, but this time the jaki was actually forced to slow down. "That's it, everyone!" Sailor Mercury called to the others as she analyzed the creature with her VR goggles. "Our attacks have more of an effect when we combine them."   
The five girls looked at one another and grinned, and then, in unison, called out their attacks once more. This time the five glowing powers converged together, forming a huge beam of light and energy, which enveloped the jaki. "It's working," Sailor Mercury called out, again using her goggles. "Sailor Moon, now!"  
Sailor Moon nodded, brandishing the Spiral Heart Moon Rod. Holding it up and concentrating on the power of the Silver Crystal, she began to spin, feeling the sweet pure power flowing through her. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" she cried out, and as she froze on one knee, the Rod held up above her head, the waves of heart-shaped purifying power streamed from the Rod towards the creature.   
There was a collective gasp of disbelief as the power of the Silver Crystal also went directly through the jaki, without harming it at all. Sailor Moon's jaw dropped, and after a moment she began to wail. "No fair, no fair, no fair!! It's supposed to dieeeee!!!"   
At this point, Sailor Orion stepped forward with a look of determination on her face. "It's all right, Princess," she said, her musical voice echoing through the white snow-filled playground. "I'll try." With that she summoned her Sphere, which began to glow and pulse with its unearthly peach-colored light. The jaki, attracted by the light, turned towards Orion and began to advance on her instead. Sailor Orion grinned, lifted her fist, and sang out, "Heavenly Symphony!"  
The melody filled the playground with its usual cleansing, restorative effects. Lady Slipper grimaced a bit. That sickening sweet purity stuff was enough to make her ill. However, she was not weak enough that a little bit of music would actually have much effect on her other than being a little grossed out, she was perfectly fine. And so was the jaki.  
"Sailor Orion, look out!" Venus and ChibiMoon screamed in unison as the jaki just kept right on coming towards her. The creature caught the colossal Sacrificial Soldier by surprise, and gave her a smack across the face that knocked her backwards over the snow, into the children's jungle gym.  
"Orion!" Neophilus said with concern, taking a step forward. His ruby eyes glittered as he looked over at Lady Slipper and the jaki. "All right, I've had enough. I'm putting an end to this right now."  
"No." Neophilus turned to see Sailor Orion picking herself up out of the snow. She was limping a little, but her silver eyes were sparking fire. "No, Neophilus. We have to do this ourselves. You aren't always going to be here to get us out we have to know that we can fight these things on our own."  
Sailor Jupiter yelled across to her, "What about that Mini-Sphere thing you do?"  
Orion shook her head. "Too destructive," she called back. "We have a room full of children on the other side of that wall."  
Lady Slipper giggled. "So, the Sailor Senshi give up. I guess that means bye, bye, Sailor Saturn." She tightened her grip on the baby's neck.  
"Not remotely," came the reply from up above. A single rose flew down to embed itself in the jaki's path, forcing it for a moment to pause its advance on Orion.  
Sailor Moon's eyes got starry as she gazed up at the roof of the daycare center. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she sighed, thinking to herself how nicely the whiteness of the snow set off her beloved's black tuxedo and cape.  
Sailor ChibiMoon also straightened up and cheered, "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!"  
Tuxedo Kamen nodded down at both of them, but kept his white-masked gaze on Lady Slipper and the jaki. "The Sailor Senshi of the Posiverse never give up," he declared firmly. "Sailor Moon, Sailor Orion if combined attacks are what effect this creature the most, then the two of you must work together to destroy it."  
Orion's face grew thoughtful, and she went to stand next to Sailor Moon. She winked at the much shorter girl. "Come, Princess. Fight with me."  
Sailor Moon's eyes grew wide but she held her Moon Rod up. Once again she began to spin, powering up her attack. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" she called out, and on the last word she thrust the Spiral Heart Moon Rod up into the air, this time touching it to Sailor Orion's Orion Music Sphere. At that same moment, Sailor Orion called out her own attack.   
"Heavenly Symphony!!"   
The melody that filled the air was different, this time, than the song they were used to. Somehow it had become more powerful, more intense. The purifying power of Sailor Moon's attack was being magnified by Orion's Sphere, and sent out along with the melody, washing over everyone and everything with a power that was so clean and healing that it almost took the other Senshi's breath away. Sailor Moon herself had never experienced anything quite so beautiful as the achingly sweet love and hope washing over her. It was the kind of joy, simple and complete, that brought tears to one's eyes with the passion of it.  
This time, Lady Slipper did have to cover her ears. In doing so, she dropped baby Hotaru into the snow. The baby, very happy to be away from her mean captor, wiggled away towards Neophilus. Lady Slipper scarcely noticed, she was so busy trying to block the purity from her ears. She could feel her skin beginning to burn as the cleansing effect of the melody was destroying all the evil in the area, and she knew she couldn't stay much longer. Still, she'd achieved what she'd come for Sailor Saturn was one more Senshi they could strike off the list of possible carriers. She could always return. She turned her head to glare at Sailor Orion.  
Orion, noting the effect their combined attack was having on her former Negaverse partner, winked rakishly at Lady Slipper, and gave an enormous grin. She knew precisely what the evil woman was feeling at the moment, and so she also knew that Lady Slipper would be leaving them in approximately one two three  
"I'm coming back, you know," Lady Slipper hissed.  
Orion cocked an eyebrow. "I'm looking forward to it," she replied mischievously. "We ought to hold these little family reunions more often."  
With a final glare, Lady Slipper's form shimmered and then disappeared completely from sight. And as she did so, the jaki gave a horrible hiss, and melted away, just as his predecessors had, into a pool of black, shiny liquid. Sailor Moon, Orion and the others watched with satisfaction as the gooey stuff slowly disappeared, absorbing into the snow until there was nothing left of it.  
Neophilus picked Hotaru up from the ground, and Sailor ChibiMoon instantly ran to his side to check on her best friend. She clucked her toungue angrily over the small red cut on the baby's arm, and Hotaru, giggling, tried to imitate the clucking noises herself. As Neophilus and ChibiMoon watched, the cut on the baby's arm seemed to miraculously close itself, and fade away. In a moment there was not a trace of Lady Slipper's knife to be found anywhere on her arm. ChibiMoon stared at the baby wide-eyed, and then looked up at Neophilus, who smiled kindly at her amazement. "Sailor Saturn has influence over the Realm of Health," he explained. "Her powers come from destruction but they also come from healing."   
Sailor Orion turned to face Sailor Moon with a bit of amazement on her face. "Princess. That is the first time that you and I have ever combined our attacks, in all the lifetimes we have shared. I did not believe it was possible."  
Sailor Moon flashed a brilliant smile. "Everything's possible, Orion," she chirped happily. "And we beat that jaki good. You and me."  
Orion had to return the smile; Sailor Moon's smiles were infectious. "Yes, we did."  
Sailor Mercury spoke up then. "Sailor Moon, I think we need to call another Scout Meeting to discuss this. It would seem that Lady Slipper is up to something. We need to find out what it is." The other scouts were nodding in agreement, and so Sailor Moon sighed.  
"Okay." They were probably right it certainly did seem like Lady Slipper was up to no good. She turned towards Hotaru. "Bye-bye, Hotaru-chan."  
"Bye, Hotaru-chan," Sailor ChibiMoon echoed, reluctantly releasing the baby's hand. All the girls followed Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen over the tall wire fence, knowing that it was probably easier to jump the fence than it would be to return through the building where scores of awed little children would be latching onto their legs at every step.   
Once they were all safely over the fence, Orion turned towards Neophilus. "I'll meet with you and the other Guardians later to discuss this," she said quietly, and he nodded. Shinzui reached out to ruffle the baby's hair, and then she too was gone.  
Neophilus watched the Senshi go, and sighed. There was something disturbingly different about this lifetime he could sense that somehow this time would not end as all the others had before. He could only hope that this would have a happy ending. Because if it didn't but that wasn't worth thinking about. As always, it comes down to the Senshi. Either they will save the Posiverse from disaster once again or there will be no Posiverse left to save. With another sigh he turned, and carried Hotaru inside.

[Back to Part Twenty-One][2]  
[On to Part Twenty-Three][3]  
[Back to the Library][4]  
[Back to the Refuge][5]

   [1]: ariayanni.mid
   [2]: fanfic21.htm
   [3]: fanfic23.htm
   [4]: library.htm
   [5]: SailorOrion.htm



	23. Cooking, competition, fun! Jupiter's sil...

Part Twenty-Three: Cooking, competition, fun! Jupiter's silver lightning 

The pipes hissed, and a cloud of steam billowed into the dim, echoing expanse of the ancient tunnels. A moment later the Child emerged through it, her long white gown seeming to glow as it reflected the pale blue light from the electric torches fixed to the walls. Her silvery hair also glittered with blue highlights, making her appear to be some sort of avenging angel gliding serenely towards them. As she drew nearer the three Guardians could make out the symbol of Orion shining softly on her forehead as it always did in this form. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe that this was the same person who, millennia before, had murdered millions of people and threatened the existence of existence itself.   
The Guardians bowed to her at her approach, and she greeted them all in the manner which had been their custom for thousands of years. "Guardian Father." She leaned forward to place a kiss on his forehead. "Guardian Friend." She extended her hand, and he took it into his own in a warm handshake. Then she turned to the central figure. "Guardian Brother." And she reached out to pull him into a hug.  
As usual when she embraced him, Demetrius felt his heart nearly stop. There was nothing in the world that he could imagine that was quite so wonderful as holding this girl, this amazing, wonderful girl, in his arms. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of her hairsoft and clean, like the smell in the air after it rains. He would never again be able to see her as a monster, not this beautiful, pure thing in front of him. If only he could tell herbut he knew the time was not right. It would never be right, for she would never be able to see him as more than a dear brother. Not so long as there was someone else in her heart.  
The Sacred Child pulled back then, and regarded the Guardians seriously. "We must talk," she said quietly. "I have met with the Senshi to discuss Lady Slipper's recent attack on Sailor Saturn. We have hypothesised, and I concur, that Lady Slipper now believes it is one of the Senshi who carries the Silver Dagger."  
"If this is true," Guardian Father mused, "then she will be coming back after each one of you. You must all be on your guard at all times."  
The Child nodded. "However, we do have the advantage now. During our meeting, Uranus and Neptune said that they had already been tested by Lord Narcissus and Lady Slipper in the Doomsday Gate, and were found not to be the carriers. So I used the Orion Fire Opal to test all the other girlsand none of them is the carrier, either."  
Demetrius raised an eyebrow. "You mean you drew their blood?"  
"With their permission, yes. All except the Princess. She was too squeamish."  
Guardian Friend was shaking his head slowly. "The Moon Princess has the most powerful constitution of all of you. If the Dagger was reabsorbed into one of the Sailor Planets, she would be the most likely prospect. You must test her."  
"Not without her permission," the girl replied firmly. "I swore to protect the Princess with my life. I will not draw her blood without her consent."  
Neophilus straightened. "Child, I understand your devotion to Princess Serenity. We all do. But Oberon is right. She must be tested."  
"No." There was silence for a moment as that emphatic response echoed against the hollow metal pipes overhead. The Child's voice softened then. "The Dagger has always come to us when we needed it," she declared, her tinkling silver tones sounding like small bells all around them. "If it is within the Princess I believe it will come to us in its own time. I will not violate her wishes. If she does not want to be tested she shall not be tested. Not by me, nor by Lady Slipper. I will die before I allow it to happen."  
The Guardians looked at one another. There was no mistaking that definitive tone in her voicethey knew it all too well. She only took that tone when defending Serenity and the Moon Family; and they had learned from millennia of experience that it was useless to try and convince her otherwise. Guardian Brother tilted his head to the side.  
"But, Child," he began. "What happens if she does carry the Dagger in her bloodstream, and the vernal equinox arrives without the Dagger's extraction? Are you willing to allow the end of the world, the Posiverse, and everything we fight for, because you do not want to draw blood from a friend?"  
The girl's silver eyes shimmered fathomlessly. "I do not believe that will happen," she insisted. "The Silver Dagger was created with the sole purpose of performing the Eternal Sacrifice. It will fulfill its purpose. It will come to us." She narrowed her eyes a bit. "However, knowing that the Senshi are not carriers gives us an advantage; it buys us some time. Lady Slipper does not know. She will have to attack each one of us individually in order to test our blood, and this will take her a while. In the meantime we can continue our own search for the Dagger."  
The Guardians nodded thoughtfully, but Neophilus was still concerned. "This does, however, place each of you at a very great risk," he pointed out. "If you are Lady Slipper's targets you must be very careful. She is not like Lord Narcissus; she is a Sailor Constellation. Her powers are nearly equal to your own, and certainly are stronger than most of the other Senshi. You will all have to take extreme caution not to be caught alone with her."  
She inclined her head. "Yes, we have discussed this amongst ourselves, and agreed to stay in groups of at least two in order to protect one another. However, the risk to us is not nearly as great as the risk would be to civilians. The Senshi can at least fight back. It is better to keep Lady Slipper preoccupied with us than to encourage her to send the _jaki_ against innocent and defenseless people."  
"True," Guardian Friend agreed.  
Demetrius took a step forward. "I will help," he declared. "Lady Slipper would have a very difficult time dealing with a Guardian in addition to Senshi. I can protect you."  
The Child smiled fondly at him. "Thank you, Guardian Brother, but we do not need your protection as much as we need the Dagger. It would be better if you were to stay at the hospital and continue your work there."  
Demetrius appeared disappointed, but Guardian Father clapped him on the shoulder. "The Sacred Child is right, Demetrius. You will be more useful to us at the hospital. We must all continue our current work, but remain more alert than ever."  
The Child smiled at him. "Yes." She looked down at her belt where the Orion Opal was mounted at her waist. It was not yet pulsing or humming. "They are not tracking us yet," she stated. "Perhaps Lady Slipper has decided it is not worth the effort to try and keep tabs on the location of my Fire Opal anymore, now that she knows I am in Tokyo. But we ought to disperse, regardless. I do not want any surprise attacks to deal with today." She met their eyes solemnly. "Safe questing, my Guardians."  
"Safe questing, Child." 

"Well done, Lady Slipper." The deep, unpleasant voice growled through the dim throne room. The young woman in the center of the floor smiled gleefully, and made a low curtsy. Her long rose-colored braid touched the floor and then was lifted again as she straightened.   
"Thank you, Avatar." Lady Slipper's venomous sea green eyes glittered. "I am most gratified that you are pleased."  
The Avatar nodded slowly from his seat on the grotesque dark throne. "Yes. You are proving rather competent. You have succeeded in your first mission, and we now know that Sailor Saturn does not possess the Dagger. Tell me, which of the Planet Senshi shall be your next target?"  
The evil woman bowed again. "I have selected Sailor Jupiter to be tested next, Avatar," she responded. "Her powers glow with silver strength, just the sort that could be enhanced by the energy of the Silver Dagger. I believe she is a very good candidate."  
"I see."  
"I wish to ask your advice, my lord," Lady Slipper continued. "What do you suppose would be the best method for drawing Jupiter out? As yet we do not know the human identities of many of the Senshi in this lifetime. How shall I isolate Jupiter from the others?"  
There was a black chuckle. "Why, Lady Slipper, I would have thought you were a bit more clever than that. You cannot tell me that you have forgottenthe Senshi may be reborn each thousand years, but though their names and even their appearances change, you know as well as I that they maintain the same personality from lifetime to lifetime."  
"With the exception of Uranus, my lord," Lady Slipper corrected hesitantly, knowing that she must sound humble with this statement or risk the Avatar's fury. However she was in luck, as the Avatar nodded in agreement.   
"Very true. But Uranus is an exception to the rule, thanks to that worthless son of mine." The Avatar spit out the last words angrily, but after a moment he regained his composure and continued. "At any rate, Lady Slipper, it is Jupiter we are concerned with at the moment, and her personality has been one of the least mutable of all the Senshi. So you tell mewhat will the Soldier of Protection respond to, hmm?"  
Lady Slipper considered this for a moment, thinking back over her previous experience with Jupiter, and her eyes lit up. "Food," she responded quickly. "Sailor Jupiter was always quite enthusiastic about the wasteful human habit of eating. And that is how I shall catch her."  
There was another chuckle. "Make it a competition," the Avatar ordered with cruel amusement. "If my memory serves me, and it always does, Jupiter has a strong competitive streak in her. One we can use to our advantage. I want you to arrange a food preparation contest in Tokyo. Make it the biggest, most talked-about event of the year. If I know Jupiter she will be unable to resist the opportunity to show off her skill, and you should be able to locate her easily. She'll be the one whose dishes taste of thousands of lifetimes of experience."  
Lady Slipper giggled then. "Yes, Avatar. I shall do exactly as you instruct. Never fearthe Dagger will be ours very soon."  
This time the Avatar did not smile, however. "You had better be correct, Lady Slipper," he commanded gravely. "The vernal equinox draws closer with each passing day. I will not tolerate failure. I will not wait another thousand years to take back what is mine."  
"Yes, my lord." Lady Slipper bowed once more, and then took three steps backwards, away from the throne, before turning on her heel and leaving the room.  
The Avatar sat in silence for a moment, stroking his chin. His eyes, as black and fathomless as those of his son, bore an inscrutable expression. And then, slowly, a smile curved the thin, bloodless lips. "Yes, Orion, the time of my revenge is near. I will repay you for your treacheryand you will suffer dearly for what you have cost me. Then I will cause your screams of agony to ring throughout the Negaverse and Posiverse alike, and all will know what it means to defy me, the Avatar of all existence." A low, dark chuckle resonated through the throne room, and even the grasping, bony black hands of the throne seemed to tremble at the sound of it. 

Ami looked up from her astrophysics lab manual, and there was an expression of unusual tension on her face. Shinzui could sense it from across the room, and her head also came up. "What is it, Ami-chan?" she inquired softly. Although her voice was quiet, the musical tones immediately silenced the rest of the room. Minako and Chibiusa paused their Nintendo game, and Usagi and Rei ceased their current argument over whether or not Usagi had returned the last manga issue that Rei had lent to her. Even Makoto turned down the volume on the television where she was watching a popular young soap star. They all turned to stare at Ami, who blushed furiously.  
"It's um" The gentle blue-haired girl sighed as the worry lines again appeared on her forehead. "Shinzui-san. Are you really going to die?"  
The quiet that spread through the room was so absolute that one could have heard a butterfly sneeze. Shinzui's vacant eyes went wide for a moment, and Centauri turned to his mistress and nuzzled her knee reassuringly. The blind girl ruffled the soft fur of his ear for a moment, and sighed. She'd known that this subject was bound to come up, but it always fazed her a bit. She hated to talk about the eternal Sacrifice while the Princess was in the room, knowing how sensitive the girl could be at the thought of the death of a friend. There would be much pain, before there would be happiness, and Shinzui was not eager to begin the suffering. But it was something that had to be done at some point. The others would have to be prepared for what was coming, and she knew that now was probably as good a time as any. So she took a deep breath and nodded slowly, gathering her thoughts. "Yes, Ami-chan. I am going to die."  
"But why? Why does it have to be you?" Rei demanded. "What's so important about this sacrifice of yours, anyway? Can't we just blast the Doomsday Gate with all our power and reseal it?"  
Shinzui shook her head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Rei-chan. The Doomsday Gate is a rift between universes. It cannot be held together by Realm energy alone. Only the Realm of Soul has the strength to create a seal that will not be broken by the evil from the Negaverse side. And only a soul from the Realm of Soul has the purity required to maintain the integrity of the seal."  
Usagi shook her head stubbornly. "There's got to be another way," she insisted. "I will never believe that the only way to save the Posiverse is to sacrifice a Senshi."  
The young blind woman sighed again, sadly, as she turned to face her. "I realize how difficult this is for you, Princess. And I'm afraid that it will only get more difficult as the vernal equinox draws near. But I want you to understand that I chose this fate. I am happy to give up my life for youfor all of this." She swept her arm around the room. "You, Princess, taught me that there are things worth living for. And that means those same things are worth dying for. It is my destiny, and I embrace it, for it means that I can protect the ones that I love. I can protect love itself. That is a great honor for someone like me."  
Makoto rose to her feet and came over to the table where she could join the conversation. Sinking to her knees with clouded eyes, she stated firmly, "That still doesn't make it right. You shouldn't have to die, Shinzui-chan. There are so many of us. We have so much power. Surely if we stand together and fight"  
"It would not accomplish anything," Shinzui interrupted gently. "Sometimes power just isn't enough. Sometimes energy is not the essence of life at all. Life goes deeper than mere energy, Mako-chan. There is a spirit, a core, a soul there, that is the foundation for all. It is what makes us human. It is what you, Princess, gave to me when you cleansed me from the evil corrupting my heart. And it is that core that can seal the Doomsday Gate. Believe me when I say that we have searched for millennia, ever since the very first Sacrifice, to find another waybut we never discovered one."  
"_Shinzui no gisei_," Minako said under her breath. "_Soul of sacrifice_. And that's what you are?"  
Shinzui shook her head slightly with a melancholic smile. "No, Minako-chan. That's who I am."  
"Well, I won't accept that." All eyes turned to stare with surprise at Ami, whose worried look had been replaced by one of sheer determination. Ami's blue eyes narrowed and she lifted a fist defiantly. "I am the super-genius, right? And I am going to find another answer. You just watch me." She snapped the astrophysics book shut and shoved it into her bag. Then she stood up and marched out of the temple room. After a moment, the girls could see her striding purposefully down the shrine steps and out to the sidewalk, heading in the direction of the library.  
Shinzui let out a breath. Poor Ami. She'd always struggled so much with the fact that her academic mind could not find a solution to a seemingly mathematical problem. And it was always so much more difficult during these lifetimes when she'd actually developed a relationship with the Senshi's human personalities. The sensitive, gentle Soldier of Air had, in the past, been one of the Senshi who had the hardest time accepting her fate. And while Shinzui had complete faith in Ami's intelligence, she knew that the search would be hopeless. After all, the Guardians had been searching for another answer for thousands of years, and they had not found one yet. Centauri nuzzled her knee again.  
"She'll be all right, Shinzui-san. She always is."  
The blind girl nodded again and turned back to the group. She could sense the emotions running high through all of them; a mixture of horror and awe and helplessness and confusion that broke her heart. These were her friends, the people she loved most in all the world; and she was causing them pain. It was nearly unbearable. So she forced herself to push all her own concerns away, and smiled sweetly at all of them. "Please, my friends. Let's not ruin this afternoon with such dark thoughts. Things will be what they will be let's talk about something else." She turned towards Makoto. "I wanted to discuss with you the plans for the cooking competition you're entering," she said brightly.   
Makoto's eyes lit up, just a little. "Yes, it's supposed to be the biggest culinary and cultural event in Tokyo all year!" she informed them. Her voice began to rise with excitement as she spoke. "There are famous chefs coming from all over the world to take part in the competition. And the prizes for the winners are amazingone person is going to get to go to Paris for a year and study cooking under Paul Lavoisier, the most respected chef in the world. It's an amazing opportunity."  
"Are you really going to Paris, Mako-chan?" Chibiusa wanted to know, scrunching up her nose. "You can't speak French. How will you know what the chef-guy is saying?"  
Makoto laughed and shook her head. "Oh, I'm not going to Paris, Chibiusa-chan. There's no way I'd win grand prize in that contest with all the other already world-famous cooks there. I'm just going so I can learn some things from them, and do the very best that I can. I'm not going to win."  
"Of course you are," Usagi retorted indignantly. "Our Mako-chan is the very best cook in the entire universe!! She's going to win every prize there."  
Makoto blushed a little at this fervent praise, but did not get the chance to respond as Shinzui broke in softly. "Mako-chan, who is going with you to the competition? You can't go alone. It wouldn't be safe." Her faded eyes darkened. "I have a bad feeling about this contest, my friends. There is something about it that just does not seem right. Lady Slipper has a finger in this, I'm certain of it. And if she's involved, Mako-chan, it most likely means that you are her next target. We must be extremely careful."  
Makoto grinned wickedly. "If that frou-frou little flower blossom shows up to spoil my fun, I'll just whip up a little something special for her," she declared, green eyes dancing.  
Shinzui smiled as well, but shook her head. "Mako-chan, you must understand. Lady Slipper is Tuxedo Kamen's Negaverse counterpart, and her powers are very great. They exceed your own. You cannot afford to underestimate her." The vacant gray eyes narrowed. "And I will warn you. Lady Slipper's favorite weapon is the organic poisons she cultivates in the Negaverse. While you are at the competition, Mako-chan, you must not eat anything offered to you by a stranger." Makoto gave a nod to show she understood.  
Minako giggled. "It sounds like fun," she said. "And I'll bet there will be just flocks of adorable guys there, looking for a beautiful, talented girlfriend like me. I'll go with you, Mako-chanum, to keep you safe, of course."  
Rei sighed. "I'm afraid I can't be there, everyone," she admitted. "I already promised Grandpa Hino and Yuuichiro that I'd help set up the shrine for our festival celebration next week."  
"I can't go either." Usagi sounded so enormously cheerful about this that the other girls looked at her curiously. It was certainly not like her to be so pleased about missing out on an opportunity to eat exotic foods and watch boys all day long. But the petite blonde had stars in her eyes. "I have a date with Mamo-chan that day! He got a special holiday from his university classes and so we're spending it together. He's going to take me out on a boat. We're going to watch the sunset and the stars coming out and he's going to put his arm around me and tell me how much he loves me and we'll listen to soft music and talk and"  
"And kiss a lot," Chibiusa tossed in, resulting in Usagi tossing her seat cushion into her future daughter's face, ensuing in a haphazard pillow fight between all the girls. But amid the giggling, Shinzui sat quietly at the table, her chin in her hand. There was a slight smile on her face, as she heard the sounds of her friends enjoying themselves. At least they weren't consumed with thoughts of her death for the moment. But her smile slowly dropped into a frown. There was a blackness, a heavy poisonous feeling, that seemed to be suspended ominously above their heads, and Shinzui was certain that there was danger directly ahead of them. Lady Slipper was no fool. Shinzui knew that her former Negaverse partner was well aware of the hobbies and inclinations of the Senshi. _If Lady Slipper is going to waste time and energy on testing Jupiter, that's fine_, she mused to herself. _But I know hershe won't stop there. She'll try and kill us all if she can. I'm going to have to go along and make sure that doesn't happen._

The three girls made their way through the tightly knit crowd. Shinzui held firmly to Centauri's harness, trusting him to guide her safely in and around the surging people. The air was filled with the rich scents of baking and cooking, and each time they passed a booth Shinzui could identify the chef's specialty with a few whiffs of their cuisine. There was every sort of food imaginable being presented here today, some so exotic that it had been hundreds of lifetimes since Shinzui had last encountered them. On one side of her was Makoto. The tall brunette was carefully carrying a large wicker basket which contained her entry for the cooking competition; some of the spiciest and most delicious vegetable curry that Shinzui had ever tasted. The blind girl smiled to herself, knowing that Makoto had made the vegetable curry especially for her benefit, as she did not eat meat. The curry was so good, however, that Shinzui was concerned. Anyone who had lived as long as she and the other Senshi had would recognize in Makoto's food the distinct flavor of experience. There was no question that Makoto would win the contest. But if she did, Lady Slipper would surely find them out.   
Minako was skipping along on Shinzui's other side. She was chattering gaily and munching on some pork-and-vegetable kabobs. Every few seconds her arm would come up to point at some young man in the crowd that she found attractive, and Makoto would nod and respond with equal enthusiasm. Shinzui had to shake her head. One thing that living a blind life had taught her, was that people should not be judged by the way that they looked. She actually found it so much easier, being blind, to uncover the truth about others. The way that they behaved, and treated other people, and the kindness in their heart was what was important. Having a handsome face had nothing to do with it whatsoever. _But then again_, she chided herself, _sometimes even a sweet spirit does not matter when it comes to love. Sometimes, love is your destiny. One you cannot fight, but can only endure. Regardless of whether or not the one you love can ever love you back. _For a moment her heart constricted, and she was lost in her own turbulent emotions. So distracted was she that she failed to notice the approaching presence.  
"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" Shinzui's clouded gray eyes flew wide at Minako's happy exclamation. Her attention snapped back to the here and now, where her mental sensitivity was instantly bombarded with the familiar feelings of intense loathing and spite. Inwardly she cursed herself for not having paid more attention. No one was more aware than she of how Haruka struggled each time they met. Knowing that any word or movement from her would only serve to add coal to the fire, she lowered her head quickly and stopped moving.  
The blond racer and her graceful partner approached them through the crowds. Haruka could feel her muscles tensing as they drew closer to the pretty blind girl and her friends, and her grip on Michiru's hand tightened without her realizing it. That same, inexplicable, infuriating rage began to bubble up inside, and she wanted more than anything to turn around and leave. She could feel the beast within beginning to awake, and her jaw clenched. She didn't need this today. Michiru looked up at her with worry lining her beautiful features.  
"Haruka. Are you all right?" she asked quietly. Her hand was beginning to ache, Haruka was squeezing it so hard, but she did not pull away. She knew that Haruka was unaware that she was hurting her and she didn't want to upset her partner further. So she bit her lip slightly but did not complain.  
Haruka nodded tersely. "I'll be fine. I can do this." She willed herself to relax. _This is so ridiculous. What the hell is wrong with me?_  
Shinzui sensed the battle raging within the boyish girl and pain shot through her heart. It wasn't fair. Haruka shouldn't have to fight like this. It was all her fault, and Haruka was suffering for it. Shinzui knew it probably wouldn't help much, but she began to hum a soothing melody, ever so softly, sending waves of her own peace and self control through the music towards the approaching girls. It was so quiet that no one could hear her over the noise of the crowd; but it didn't matter. The strength would still be carried to those who needed it.  
Suddenly Haruka felt calmer. Not by much, but it was enough to give her the will that she needed to force her body to relax a little. She loosened her grip on Michiru's hand, and it was then that she realized how tightly she'd been holding it. A flash of regret went through her. She hadn't been paying enough attentioneven though Michiru hadn't said a word, Haruka knew that she'd been hurting her hand, and mentally she shook herself. She had to be more careful. As subtly as she could, she let go of her partner's fingers and pretended to scratch a nonexistent itch under her eye. Michiru was not fooled, but she gave no sign that anything was wrong.  
"Hello, Minako-chan. Mako-chan. Shinzui-san." Michiru greeted the girls warmly. Only Shinzui, who had known the Elegant Soldier for countless years, recognized the carefully veiled strain in the other girl's voice, and she knew that Michiru was worried about Haruka as well. Shinzui gave a slight nod but did not lift her head. Makoto and Minako, completely oblivious to the tension surrounding the other girls, smiled and greeted them excitedly.  
"So, you're entering the competition, Mako-chan?" Michiru questioned lightly.   
"She's made the best curry in the whole world!" Minako interrupted happily. "Even Shinzui-san said it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. Mako-chan's going to win for sure." Makoto blushed modestly.  
"Well, I did my best," the brunette responded humbly. "But I'm really not here to win the competition. I just want to learn all I can from the real professionals." Her green eyes shone.  
Haruka snorted. "What good is a competition if you don't win?" she demanded. All eyes flew over to the biker in surprise. Haruka had always been such a good sport in her races. No one had ever heard her talk like that before. Shinzui cringed, but did not respond.  
Makoto's eyes widened. "Why, Haruka-san, winning isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is having fun and encouraging others to do their best. You know that."   
"That's right," Minako asserted confidently. "Competitions aren't about winning, they're about challenging yourself to do your best. Right, Shinzui-san?" Everyone turned to look at the blind girl. Shinzui could feel Haruka's eyes burning into her and she knew she had no choice but to respond.  
"Winning can be fun," she said quietly, her silvery voice tinkling so that the others could scarcely hear her. "But in order for someone to win, someone else must lose. Sometimes you will be the winner, sometimes not. But the joy of a journey is not the final destination, it's the path one takes to get there. What you learn from the competition is more important than whether or not you walk away with a medal."   
She kept her head lowered, but could still sense the rebellious fury swelling up inside Haruka at her words. In a split second the blond tomboy's hand was at her throat, and her keen gray eyes were sparking with rage. Shinzui did not move as the racer seized her by the neck in a chokehold.  
"Haruka!" Michiru gasped in shock.   
"Haruka-san, what are you doing?" Minako demanded, her blue eyes the size of _odangos_.  
Makoto reached out and gripped Haruka's arm firmly. "Let her go this instant," she ordered. "What's your problem, anyway?" Even Centauri bared his teeth and began to growl deep in his throat.  
At Makoto's touch, Haruka's vision cleared. She looked in surprise down at her own hand, wrapped around the blind girl's throat. Shinzui was standing perfectly still, like a rag doll, and Haruka was suddenly struck with the realization that the taller girl had no intention of fighting back. She could snap her neck right now and Shinzui would not stop her. A look of complete horror spread across her features as she withdrew her hand. She shook her head dazedly as she backed away a few steps, and then suddenly she spun around and sprinted off through the crowd as fast as she could run.  
"Haruka!" Michiru cried after her. She turned back to the other three girls. "Shinzui-san, I'm so sorry. I don't know what could have set her off like that. Are you all right?"  
"Don't apologize," Shinzui responded, finally lifting her head. The others could see a single silver tear slide down her cheek. Her voice was trembling. "Haruka is fighting a battle within that is more difficult than anything she's ever known. Go to her, Michiru. She needs her friends right now." The aqua-haired girl nodded and turned to leave. "And Michirutell her that it's not her fault." 

"Good luck, Mako-chan," Minako whispered to her friend in excitement. Makoto nodded back at her, green eyes dancing, and took a small container of the vegetable curry in her hand. Shinzui smiled.   
"Good luck," the blind girl said softly. Makoto grinned, and began to walk towards the judges' table. Shinzui's smile disappeared as soon as Makoto's back was turned, though, and she bent towards Minako. "Minako-chankeep your eyes open. Lady Slipper is here."  
The blond girl gasped. "Buthow do you know?" she questioned, looking around. "I don't see her anywhere."  
"She's here," Shinzui repeated firmly. "I can feel her." It was true. The poisonous evil aura she'd been sensing all day long was concentrated now, and it was very, very close. Shinzui could not yet identify where it was coming from, but its source was unmistakeable.  
"Excuse me, ladies," a voice interrupted. The two girls were greeted by a little rotund man with a white chef's cap on. He was carrying a tray of _sushi_. "Could I convince you to take a taste of my latest creation? You've never tasted finer _sushi_ in your lives, I promise you."  
Shinzui smiled and accepted a roll of the fish from his tray. Minako also took one, and raised it to her lips, but the blind girl reached out and held her arm. She nodded at the chef. "_Arigatou_, sir. I'm certain it is delicious." The round man nodded, pleased, and waddled off to another member of the crowd.  
Minako looked down at her arm, which Shinzui was holding so that she could not taste the _sushi _roll in her hand. "Shinzui-san," she complained. "What's wrong?"  
Shinzui shook her head. "Lady Slipper," she reminded her. "She works with poison, remember? We must not eat anything offered to us by a stranger. We cannot risk it."  
Minako sighed as Shinzui took the roll of fish from her hand, and tossed both samples into a nearby trash can. But she did not respond because her attention was caught by something else. "Ooh, Shinzui, it's Mako-chan's turn now!" she exclaimed happily, snatching up Shinzui's free hand and dragging her towards the front of the crowd, with Centauri being pulled alongside. After a minute of awkward bumping and squeezing and hasty apologies, they reached the front where they'd have a clear view. Minako began to describe the scene for Shinzui, who could not see it.  
"Okay, there are five judges three men and two women. Mako-chan's going to the first one now. He's kind of a big guy, looks really stern. He's using his chopsticks and trying her curry Hang on just a second. Okay, he's chewinghe doesn't look too unhappy, but it's hard to tell if he likes it. Now he's writing something down. I think he might be noddingthat's good, isn't it? And Mako-chan's moving on to the next judge now." Minako wriggled with excitement and Shinzui had to smile. "This one's a lady. Kind of old. She might not like Mako-chan's spicy foodoh, dear. Okay, she's tasting it. She's chewingshe's smiling!! Really smiling! I think she likes it. And she's saying something to Mako-chan but I can't tell what it is. Now she's writing on her paper. I think those must be the scorecards." Shinzui nodded to show that she was listening. "All right, judge number three and number four are young guys. Ooh, they're cute!! And one of them just winked at Mako-chan!" The blond girl grumbled. "Man, maybe I should learn to cook. It's not fair that Mako-chan should get all the attention today." Shinzui giggled a little.   
"Ah, Minako-chan, perhaps you should just tell me what they think of the curry, hmm?"  
Minako blushed a bit. "Oh, all right. They're tasting it they're winking at her AGAIN. Ooh, this is so not fair. And they're writing some stuff down. Okay, so the last judge then is another lady. She's real young and pretty. Boy, does she have great hair! I love that long braid. I should try my hair like that sometime. Anyway, Mako-chan's holding out the currythe lady's got her chopsticks and she's trying it. Hey, that's weird. She smiled really fast, and then she started frowning a little." Minako tilted her head to the side. "Okay, now she's asking for another taste! Mako-chan's still holding the containershe's tasting it again. Still frowning. This can't be good. She's saying something to Mako-chan. Oh, she just pulled a little salt shaker out of her purse! She's putting it on the curry. That's so rude!!" Minako bristled with indignation. "Our Mako-chan's food is perfect just the way it is. Now she's stirring it with her chopsticks and picking up another bite."  
A shadow crossed Shinzui's face then. "Minako-chan," she asked urgently. "What color is the judge's hair?"  
Minako was too excited to reply right away. "She's offering the bite to Mako-chan. Of all the nerve"  
"Minako-chan, please, it's important. Her hair."  
The blond girl scowled but looked at the woman's hair. "Oh, it's pink. Dark pink, kinda like a rose. Can you believe the gall of that woman? Salting Mako-chan's food right here in front of everyone. That's just not done in Japan. She ought to know that." Minako looked up, expecting Shinzui to agree with her, but the blind girl had vanished. Minako blinked in confusion. "Shinzui-san? Shinzui-san, where'd you go?"  
Suddenly there was a gasp from the crowd, and Minako looked up to see her friend onstage crumple to the ground, holding a pair of empty chopsticks. The lady judge rose to her feet and laughed, and there was a flash of bright pink light. When it had faded, Minako could see that the judge had transformed. It was Lady Slipper. "Oh, my lord," Minako gasped. "It's hershe poisoned Mako-chan's curry!" Quickly Minako lunged forward, ducking underneath the fabric drape of the stage. Her _henshin_ pen materialized in her hand.  
The crowd gave a unified roar as the evil Negaverse woman appeared on the stage, and they surged forward. But Lady Slipper only cackled again, and drew out her knife. A black, oily looking drop formed at its tip, and fell to the ground between her and the angry mob. As it struck earth, the thick liquid began to swell and grow, taking on a very ugly shape.  
"It's a monster!" shrieked someone in the crowd as the _jaki_ solidified, opening its hideous yellow eyes. The people began to panic. Many ran away and several children started screaming in terror. A few of the braver souls picked up chairs or anything else they could find and began to brandish them as weapons. From underneath the stage, the now-transformed Sailor Venus whipped out her communicator.   
"Usagi-chan, Rei-chan, Ami-chan everyone! There's big trouble over here. Lady Slipper's got Mako-chan!" The three faces of her friends crackled into view.   
"We're on our way!" Rei and Ami promised immediately. Venus saw Mamoru's face pop in over Usagi's shoulder.   
"So are we," he declared firmly, ignoring Usagi's protests at the interruption of their date. Venus nodded in satisfaction and snapped the communicator shut. She could hear the screams of the crowd outside as the _jaki_ began to fire its black lightning at the ones who dared to defend the others. Sailor Venus grinned to herself, and rolled out from underneath the stage. She rose to her feet, directly behind the creature, and tapped it on the shoulder.  
"Hey, ugly. Why not pick on someone your own size?" she taunted. The _jaki _swung around and Sailor Venus began to regret her hasty words. This thing was huge. And she suddenly remembered that Lady Slipper's _jaki _were just a bit more difficult to defeat than Narcissus' had been. Venus swallowed hard as she stared the creature in the eyes. It opened its mouth and she caught a glimpse of the long, black, snakelike tongue. She stared, mesmerized, as the monster prepared to blast her point-blank.  
"Heavenly Symphony!" The familiar, energizing melody filled the air, and the jaki, distracted, turned to find Sailor Orion standing above it on the stage, her Music Sphere pulsing with breathtaking light. The silver-haired soldier grinned down at it wickedly. "Well, hello, there," she greeted the thing. "Did your mommy finally let you out to play?" She cast a glance over at Lady Slipper and winked at her.   
Lady Slipper smiled back, venomously. "Looks like you have a choice to make, Orion," she sneered. "Either save your little friend there and all those pitiful humans from my jaki, or try and stop me from taking the Silver Dagger from Miss Jupiter, here." She indicated the fallen Makoto who lay crumpled on the stage. "I knew it was her the minute I tasted that curry. A thousand lifetimes as a cook certainly leave their mark, no?"  
Sailor Orion's eyes narrowed as she gazed down at the poisoned girl. "What did you give her, Lady Slipper?" she demanded in a low voice.   
Lady Slipper giggled. "Oh, nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about, Orion," she responded gleefully. "Just a little neurotoxin I've been working onyou know, in my spare time. It's a paralyzing poison. Your little Senshi friend won't be able to see or hear or move for the next two or threeyears." She giggled again. "That is, of course, if she's lucky and doesn't die first."  
Orion cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Your poison is that powerful?" Lady Slipper gave a haughty nod, but was not allowed the opportunity to answer. "Because it looks to me like she's waking up now."  
Lady Slipper spun around. Sure enough, Makoto was beginning to stir. "Impossible," the evil woman screeched.   
Sailor Orion laughed. "Amazing what a little music can do, hmm? Medicine for the soul." The Orion Music Sphere began to pulse just a little brighter and Lady Slipper glowered at her. Orion grinned back. "Better be quick about it, Lady Slipper," she warned. "When Jupiter wakes up she's not going to be happy." With another mocking chuckle, Orion somersaulted off the stage, landing at Venus' side to face the jaki. Lady Slipper turned away and held out her knife. She bent over Makoto's prostrate form, and the young girl's eyes fluttered. Orion was right, she'd have to hurry.  
Swiftly she drew the sharp, shiny little blade over the tanned, muscled arm. A thin red line welled up, and Lady Slipper waved the opal over the bloody cut. There was no change, not even a hint of silver. "Damn," Lady Slipper sighed in frustration. "Another blank." She looked up and watched for a moment as back to back, the two Sailor Senshi fought off the evil spirit. Her eyes narrowed in thought as Sailor Venus cracked her golden chain of hearts between the _jaki _and some innocent bystanders. The _jaki_ grabbed the chain and pulled on it, so that Venus was yanked forward, then struck her across the face so that she skidded several feet on the rough pavement. But despite her bleeding lip and badly scratched legs, Venus rose to her feet and attacked the creature again, continuing to protect the people in the crowd as they made their escape. Lady Slipper smiled to herself, slowly.   
"Such passion," she mused. "Such life and vigor. The Silver Dagger might belong to one such as this." She stood up, wanting very much to go and wave the opal over Venus' bleeding legs. But she knew that now was not the time. She would have to wait.  
"Find what you were looking for?" Orion tossed over her shoulder as the Negaverse woman straightened.   
Lady Slipper scowled. "Jupiter is not the carrier," she spat back, watching as Orion ducked a blast of black lightning, then spun around and landed a punch to the _jaki_'s midsection.  
"What a shame," Sailor Orion responded with a grin as Venus blasted the creature with her Crescent Beam, right between the eyes. "Better luck next time, I suppose." Again she dove out of the way of a bolt of power, cracking the monster on the back of the head as she went.  
Lady Slipper growled. "And there will be a next time, Orion. You can count on that."  
"Looking forward to it," Sailor Orion retorted, then grunted as the _jaki _slashed into her shoulder with its razor-like claws. A grin spread over her face as the pain shot through her body. "Now that's more like it," she declared to no one in particular. "NOW we're having fun." And she spun around and landed a kick with her booted heel that punched a deep hole into the evil spirit's leg. It hissed loudly with fury and pain, and Lady Slipper had to shake her head.   
_Such a waste, really. All that fabulous warrior spirit, completely useless in the hands of that mealy-mouthed little Moon Princess. There had been a time when Orion and I, we were unstoppable. We could have ruled the universe together. And now look. _She watched as Orion, still bleeding profusely from the shoulder, threw herself on top of Sailor Venus to roll her out of the way of an unexpected blast of dark energy. _Orion's gone soft. A weakling. Fallen prey to the Posiverse fables of "love" and "honor". It's disgusting._ Lady Slipper sighed, though, as Orion picked herself up off the ground and turned to face the evil spirit again, her silver eyes burning fire. _Still, woman or man, positive or negative, she is truly magnificent. Why should Sailor Moon get to have her, and waste all that glorious strength? Orion was mine in the beginning, and she will be mine again. I will get her back. _With that last thought, Lady Slipper nodded in satisfaction. She could see Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, and the other two running towards the fight, and knew that it would be over soon. So with a final, longing look at Sailor Orion, she strengthened her resolve. She had to leave for now, but this was far from over. She was going to bring Sailor Orion back to the Negaverse if it took every last drop of power she had. A smile curved the sensual lips, and the Negaverse woman disappeared. 

"Mako-chan! Mako-chan, are you okay?" Makoto felt hands at her shoulders, and opened her eyes. Very slowly, a figure with two blond dumpling-topped ponytails came into focus, and Makoto could make out the golden tiara and red hair gems.   
"Sailor Moon" she struggled to sit up, but a hand gently pressed her down.   
"Not yet, Mako-chan. Allow yourself to recover your strength more fully."   
Makoto blinked as another face, this one surrounded by shining white hair, appeared in her vision. "Sailor Orion?" The figure nodded.  
"Yes." Makoto recognized the bell-like voice. "Lady Slipper has poisoned you with one of her Negaverse toxins. I have cleansed most of the effect but you'll have to give it a few hours or so to completely work its way out of your system."  
"Lady Slipper?" the brunette girl exclaimed, trying to sit up again. "Where?"  
"It's okay, she's gone now," Sailor Mercury responded. "Sailor Moon and Sailor Orion got rid of the _jaki _by combining their powers again."  
"You mean you guys all did battle with the _jaki _and I missed it?" Makoto asked, disappointment in her voice. "Man, that stinks." She heard Sailor Venus giggling, and the distinct sound of Tuxedo Kamen's chuckling.  
"But the worst part is that the contest was canceled," Sailor Mars spoke up. "So you'll never know if you won or not, Mako-chan."  
Makoto sighed, but then shook her head with a small smile. "That's not quite true, Mars. I did win." The others looked at one another in confusion, and Makoto's smile widened. "Orion, didn't you say that it's the path that counts, not the destination? Well, I have friends that believe in me, and people that are worth fighting for. As long as I've got you guysI can't lose."  
The other Senshi met each other's eyes and nodded in agreement. Sailor Moon turned back to Makoto and took her hand. "And as long as we've got you, Mako-chan, we're all winners." She then helped Makoto to sit up, very slowly. "Come on, everybody," Sailor Moon declared. "We've had enough fighting for today. Let's go home."  
In a few minutes, four girls in school uniforms and one handsome young man were walking out of the square, away from the shambles of what had been, that morning, the biggest cultural event of the year. Between them they supported a fifth girl, a tall brunette, who was stumbling a little like she was uncertain of her legs. She had an enormous smile on her face, however. She was very grateful that she had so many wonderful and caring friends to lean on.   
Behind them, a tall, pale haired girl with sightless dove gray eyes stood alone in the center of the square, a beautiful golden retriever by her side. And even though she could not see the backs of her retreating friends, any one observing the gentle, tender expression on her face would have sworn that she was watching them go. 

  



	24. The eternal curse of love! The goddess o...

Part Twenty-Four: The eternal curse of love! The goddess of love under attack 

Minako suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, staring into the window of the adjacent shop. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes began to swim with stars as she read the sign posted there. The other girls, noticing that she'd paused, turned to find out what was going on.  
"Hey, whatcha reading, Minako-chan?" Chibiusa demanded, marching over to where Minako was frozen on the sidewalk. The little girl looked into the store window, taking note of the large, colorful sign displayed there. "Grand Opening of the New York Look Beauty Academy tomorrow," she read out loud. "Free makeovers for the first hundred customers. Modeling agents will be on hand, looking for new talent. The New York Look will make your dreams come true."  
"Modeling?" Rei exclaimed, immediately coming over to read the sign for herself.   
"Free makeovers?" Usagi chimed in, also drawing closer to the shop window. Makoto and Ami looked at one another, then shrugged, and moved in to join the others at staring at the sign.  
"The New York Look Beauty Academy is one of the most well-known beauty schools and agencies in the United States," Minako declared dreamily. "And they're opening up a branch here! I'm going to be a famous American model!"  
Chibiusa scowled. "Minako-chan!" she grumbled warningly. "You haven't even gotten the makeover yet. It's a little early to be making that sort of comment, isn't it?" But Minako was too lost in daydreams to even notice.  
"It says they open at eight in the morning tomorrow," the blond girl said happily, turning towards her friends. "Come on, I'm going to get my sleeping bag!"  
"What for?" Makoto wanted to know, and Minako rolled her eyes.  
"Camping out here tonight, of course," she responded impatiently. "I'm going to be the first one to get that makeover tomorrow and the first one that those agents are going to see! I'll stun them all with my beauty and grace and become a famous international idol!!" Minako waved her arms in the air dramatically, and shouted the last sentence so loudly that other people on the street paused to look at them. The other girls all blushed, chagrined. Ami shook her head.  
"Minako-chan, it's not safe. Have you forgotten about Lady Slipper? You can't just stay out here alone all night," the blue-haired girl gently reminded.  
"I know that," Minako answered, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "That's why all of you will be camping out here with me. We'll all get makeovers tomorrow. It'll be fun!" The others looked at one another uncertainly, and Minako's face fell. "Oh, come on, guys. Please? I really want to do this."  
"I'll have to ask my parents," Usagi began, and Chibiusa nodded enthusiastically.  
"And I've got to make sure that everything's been set up for the festival at the Shrine," Rei added.  
Makoto scratched her head. "I'd have to cancel my karate class tomorrow morning"  
"Well, I have an organic chemistry exam next week," Ami announced determinedly. But, seeing the crestfallen look on her friend's face, she sighed. "Which, I suppose, I could study for out here with all of you."  
At this, Minako's eyes lit up and she threw her arms around Ami in a big hug. "Oh, thank you, Ami-chan! Thank all of you. This is going to be so much fun!!"  
Ami flushed a little, but nodded as Minako pulled away. "Well, all right then, if we're going to do this then I need to go get my things together," she said quietly.   
The other girls nodded. "Okay," Makoto said, checking her watch. "It's almost five o'clock. Let's all go see if we can make arrangements, and get our stuff. We'll meet back here in an hour, all right?"  
As the girls dispersed towards their separate homes, a pair of sea green eyes was watching them from behind a pair of dark sunglasses. There was a light giggle, and Lady Slipper raised the cup of tea to her lips slowly, savoring the light, sweet taste. "I recognize the brunette," she mused to herself as she observed Makoto walking away from the scene. "The one I poisoned curse Orion and that Sphere of hers. She completely ruined the perfection of my work." Lady Slipper slammed the cup down on the table before her in frustration, but after a moment was smiling again. "Stillif she's Sailor Jupiter, then it's almost certain that those girls she's with are the other Sailor Senshi. One of them has got to be Venus. Why else would they be staying for those makeovers tomorrow? Little Miss Venus always did have a vain streak. If those girls are camping out here tonight, then tonight shall be when I come after them." Lady Slipper picked up the cup again, and her smile became a little less pleasant. "I'm going to get that Silver Dagger, Orion. And you're going to be mine againwhether you know it or not." With that last sentiment, Lady Slipper took another sip of her tea, then rose to her feet. She had things to do. 

"What is it, Shinzui?" Centauri asked, looking up at his blind mistress as she sighed for the eighth time that morning. Shinzui shook her head, a small, melancholic smile floating on her delicate features as she set down the book she'd been trying, unsuccessfully, to concentrate on. It was an expression that Centauri recognized all too well, and it was his turn to sigh. "Don't, Shinzui. Don't think about it."  
"How can I not think about it?" the blind girl replied, her voice full of quiet despair. "The Curse is a part of me, Centauri. You know that. It's as much a part of my destiny as the Eternal Sacrifice is."  
The golden retriever nuzzled her hand softly. "I know. But dwelling on it isn't going to help."  
"Nothing is ever going to help." She rubbed her temples wearily. "Don't ever fall in love, Centauri. It's terrible."  
"You don't mean that," her companion admonished softly.   
There was another sad smile. "You're right, I don't. Love is wonderfulfor everybody else."  
"Shinzui"  
"No." Shinzui shook her head. "I brought this on myself, Centauri. I committed myself to this years ago, and I am not going to run away from the consequences. After what I didI deserve it."  
"That's not true," Centauri argued stubbornly. "That wasn't you, Shinzui. The Prince of Darkness is not you, anymore. You can't be held responsible for what he did. It's not fair."  
"It's more than fair." Shinzui reached out to stroke his fur gently. Even now, she could still see the flames, black and horrible, and hear the screaming "The Prince is still in me, Centauri. I fight him down, hold him back, but he's still there. I feel him when I'm fighting. I feel the old thrill rising up again, and sometimes it's so hard to control, and to remember who I am now. Sometimes, at night, I dream about it. But the thing that frightens me is that the memories don't always disgust me. Sometimes I just feel satisfied and triumphant, like I did thenand that's the truly disgusting thing." Her tinkling voice broke. "I'm a monster, Centauri. I might change form or even allegiance, but I'm a monster. And I deserve every bit of the loneliness and hurt of the Curse."  
The golden retriever shook his head. "I don't believe that. I'll never believe that. I've watched over you for too many lifetimes, Shinzui. I've watched you go through thousands of years of pain and sorrow because of the Curse and the Sacrifice. I think you've by far paid your dues."  
The sightless dove colored eyes closed, and a single crystal tear slid down her cheek. "What I owe can never be paid," she declared in a tone so soft he could barely hear her. "I killed them, Centauri. I tortured them to death. All in the name of a love that I didn't understand. How could I ever repay such a thing?"  
Centauri lifted a shaggy, golden eyebrow. "I'd say that over a thousand lifetimes of unrequited love is punishment enough, Shinzui. When you were purified, the Guardians told you there'd be a consequence for your past actions. But I don't think they knew, then, what a cruelty those consequences would be. The Eternal Curse of unrequited love is far more devastating than any death."  
"That's why the Sacrifice is a blessing, in a way." A bitter smile touched her lips. "By the time it comes I'm always looking forward to it. At least in death I don't have to feel so lonely." Her pet looked up at her with compassion and hopelessness in his eyes. How he wished there was something he could do some way of soothing his mistress' pain. It cut him deeply to see her so heartbroken. He'd told the Guardians from the very beginning that he thought the Curse was too much for her. But they hadn't been able to help. Guardian Friend said that Shinzui had placed the Curse on herself, because of her actions in the past. And because she'd put it on herself, they couldn't lift it. Only forgiveness would do that. And Centauri knew, despite his comforting words to Shinzui, that there were some things that were just unforgivable.  
"I thought I loved her then, Centauri. I thought we would be the perfect team." Shinzui gave a grim chuckle. "But I didn't even know what love meant. No one in the Negaverse did. By the time the Princess saved me from myself, the damage had already been done." The blind girl rose to her feet then. "I need to get out of here," she said listlessly. "Go someplace. Just walk. Maybe, if I'm lucky, I can leave my destiny behind me for a few hours." Centauri also stood, but Shinzui held up a hand. "Not this time, old friend. I need to go alone." She reached out, fumbling for the white tipped cane that she always kept in the umbrella stand by the door. Grasping the smooth wood in her hand, she withdrew the cane, tapped it a few times experimentally on the floor, and then offered a final, wistful smile towards her companion. "I'll be back," she promised quietly. His liquid brown eyes watched her with pity and concern as she left the apartment. Centauri waited a few minutes, and then rose to his feet and went to the door. Putting his paws up on the doorknob, he managed to get the knob to turn, and let himself out. Checking to make sure the door swung shut behind him, he turned and headed for the stairway. Perhaps Shinzui did want to be alonebut she was too important, and too dear a friend, to leave her unprotected. Especially in her current state of mind.   
Centauri didn't like the way this was going. This lifetime was, somehow, different than all the others that they had shared. There was a strange sense of motionthe wind itself seemed to be whispering of coming change, and he knew that something vital was going to happen this time around. Whether it was for good or evil, he couldn't tell. But he wasn't about to allow Shinzui to face it alone. There was already so much that she was forced to carry by herself. Privately, Centauri resolved that whatever destiny awaited them in the wind's prophecies, he would be standing by his mistress' side to the very end. After all, she'd proven more than once that she would do the same. Such a noble heart did not deserve to fight in loneliness. 

Lady Slipper watched as the blind girl left the apartment. What luck! That annoying canine companion of hers wasn't with her. She observed with sense of disgust as Shinzui, tapping her cane, slowly made her way down the crowded sidewalk. The other people milling about parted respectfully in deference to the young blind woman's handicap. Lady Slipper shook her head. Here was the great Prince of the Negaverse, a living legend, a person feared by anyone unlucky enough to have gotten in his way reduced to this. He was now nothing more than a weak, stumbling, feeble slip of a girl, and a handicapped girl at that! It was a crime. And yet, as she kept her eyes on Shinzui, there was no denying the dignity in the shoulders, the nobility in the face. She was royalty, through and through, and Lady Slipper took some comfort in that. Besides, she'd seen Sailor Orion fight. Even in this new form, she hadn't lost all of her warrior spirit. Of that Lady Slipper was certain.  
The Negaverse woman began to follow Shinzui down the sidewalk. She could sense, even from this far away, that something was wrong with her former partner. And she had a fairly good inkling of what it was. A cruel smile curved her lips. She couldn't have picked a better time to approach Shinzui, while she was wallowing in self-pity over the results from her betrayal of the Negaverse. Her new human sensibilities made her vulnerable to attacks of emotion, and Lady Slipper giggled. This was going to be just perfect.  
Shinzui sensed the venomous eyes watching her the minute she stepped out of the building, and immediately regretted leaving Centauri behind. Without him she'd be unable to transform, and unable to fight Lady Slipper. She hesitated for a moment, considering returning inside, but as she stretched her awareness out, she got a clearer impression and realized that there was no malice in the presence of her former partner. It was Lady Slipper, all right, and she certainly had some sort of agenda in mind, but Shinzui knew that there was nothing threatening in it. Half curious, she stepped out on the sidewalk, and began to move away from the apartments. After a moment or two she knew that Lady Slipper was following her. The blind girl sighed heavily. It seemed like her past was always following her, in some form or other. And even though she knew that she could never escape it, and even though she didn't believe she even deserved an escape, it still hurt.   
She continued down the sidewalk, finally turning into a narrow alley between two tall brick buildings. She made her way to the back of the alley, where a heavy metal door sat propped open on the left. Extending her cane and tapping both sides of the doorframe to establish its location, she then stepped through, into the cool darkness of the room beyond. It was nearly pitch black in the old music studio, but the darkness didn't bother Shinzui, who wasn't even aware of it. Instead, she used her cane to guide her to the stage at the front of the room, and stepped up on it. There, on the stage, was what she was looking for the large golden saxophone lying in front of the center chair, right where she'd left it from her last visit. Setting her cane down beneath the chair, Shinzui sat down and picked up the instrument, lovingly caressing the smooth, shiny surface. After a moment she brought it to her lips, and began to play.   
This was her medicine. It was the only expression available to her for venting the sorrow that so often welled up in her soul. She played the sad melody, pouring all her emotions into it, letting the loneliness and sorrow flow from her into the room, causing the very walls to swell just to contain the feelings. In the street outside, a few people stopped to listen, wondering where the exquisite music was coming from and trying very hard to hold back tears as the hopelessness and hurt in the melody penetrated into their hearts.  
Shinzui had no idea of how long she played. She was aware when Lady Slipper entered the music studio, even though she could not see her. But after a few minutes, when Lady Slipper did not interrupt her, she forgot about everything but the music and the sadness. Her fingers moved of their own accord along the length of the instrument, drawing the sound out and infusing it with everything that was running through her soul. The melody took over, and instead of Shinzui playing, it was playing herbathing her, surrounding her inside and out, drawing out her pain as a poultice draws infection from a wound. And the pain went into the song, and spread through the room and spilled out into the streets, leaving behind a peace and a quiet calm. Though it could by no means be called happiness, it was at least contentment, and finally, exhausted, Shinzui ended the piece of music with one final, long, mournful note. She lowered the saxophone.  
"Very pretty, Orion. Music was always your forte."  
Shinzui gently wiped the mouthpiece of the saxophone with the fabric of her skirt. "Hello, Lady Slipper."  
Lady Slipper stepped closer, her sea-green eyes piercing through the darkness with the ease of one who has lived in darkness for an eternity. She could make out the tearstains on Shinzui's pretty face, and she smiled. "Still dreaming, Orion? Tell me, is it worth it? All this suffering you put yourself through, lifetime after lifetimeand no one ever knows but you."  
Shinzui sighed. "I have nothing to offer you anymore, Lady Slipper. I know you're not here for vengance and you're not here to spy, so what do you want from me?"  
"Nothing." The rose-haired woman came up to the edge of the stage, her voice surprisingly gentle. "I'm not here to take anything from you, Orion."  
"Then what do you want?"  
Lady Slipper slid herself onto the stage so that she was sitting at Shinzui's feet, looking up at her. "You," she said quietly, her eyes keen. "I just want you."  
A bitter smile touched the blind girl's lips, and she shook her head. "You want my power, Lady Slipper. You want my allegiance and you want my strength. But you don't want meyou don't even know who I am."  
Lady Slipper shook her head, even though Shinzui could not see it. "That's not true," she answered. "You and I were wonderful together. It wasn't just the victories and the battle-glory, Orion, and you know it. We were partners. Soulmates. And I've never been complete since you left." Shinzui did not respond, but Lady Slipper knew her words were taking effect, and she rose to her knees next to the other girl's chair, capturing Shinzui's hands in her own and looking into her face intently. Shinzui was so startled she didn't notice that Lady Slipper had some sort of lotion on her hands, and that as she spoke she was subtly rubbing it into Shinzui's skin. "I want you to come back to me," Lady Slipper declared intensely. "I want you to fight by my side again. I want to be the one you devote your energy to, not that weak Princess who could never, ever understand you. What do you think your precious Princess would think of you if she knew how you really feel about the battles you fight? I know the blood-lust still runs in your veins, Orion. I've seen it there. I know the thrill that surges through you with each victory. I know the satisfaction that lies in pain, in a hard fight well won, and in making your enemies suffer for their impudence. It's there, Orion, inside you. You may have changed everything else, but that part of you is still there. And you can't defeat it, can you?" Shinzui did not answer, but she could feel Lady Slipper's words creeping under her skin despite her determination to ignore them. She'd just been discussing that same issue with Centauri. It was true that she couldn't always control the sadistic glee within her, especially when she was facing an enemy. That glee had released the darkness within her. That glee had transformed her into the identity she longed to free herself fromand that glee had cost Narcissus his life. Lady Slipper had a point. What would the Princess think, if she knew how much Sailor Orion had enjoyed the kill? What would she say if she realized how much Orion had reveled in the fear on Narcissus' face? While Shinzui knew that the Princess would forgive her anything, she also knew how much sorrow and confusion her actions would cause.  
Lady Slipper could see fresh tears sparkling in the sightless eyes, and knew she'd struck home. Gently she reached out and laid a hand on Shinzui's cheek, caressing the blind girl's face softly. "So beautiful," she murmured. "You were always the most beautiful person I've ever known, Orion. It doesn't matter how you change. The fire, the passion, the determination and daring that I love in you can never die. We were more than battle partners. I was your wife, remember? I was your closest friend. And I miss that, Orion. I really do. I want you back."  
"My wife" Shinzui repeated numbly. There was a fog forming in her mind, a rose-colored fog that seemed to be penetrating her very thoughts and spreading with every word that Lady Slipper spoke. "And my friend. Yes, you were both those things, insofar as those things have meaning in the Negaverse." She reached up and took Lady Slipper's hand away from her face, pushing the fog back stubbornly. "But you, even you, who claim to be closest to me, betrayed me along with all the others when it suited your fancy."  
"Must I remind you that it was you who betrayed us first?" Lady Slipper responded, with a hint of sharpness in her tone. "Your fascination with that human girl, and with the Posiverse concept of love, cost us all dearly. You forfeited battles we could have won. You made foolish tactical decisions. You showed mercy." Shinzui knew she should have spoken then, and told Lady Slipper that mercy was important, that it was humane, that it was a lesson she'd been learning from the Posiverse humans and found value in. But she couldn't argue. Lady Slipper was making more sense than she wanted to admit. She realized how ridiculous her obsession had been, now. She was a creature of the Negaverse. She was evil. How could she have presumed to understand anything in the Posiverse? She'd been dreaming of becoming something that she was not. Lady Slipper stroked Shinzui's fingers as she continued. "Do you think I didn't know what you were planning? I was fully aware that you wanted to replace me with that humanto make her your queen instead of me. And I was jealous that anyone else should capture your attention so. Can you blame me, then, for abandoning you to your desires instead of trying to hold on to something I'd already lost?" She sighed. "And so we left you there, to face the consequences of your foolishness. That little Moon Princess showed up and gave you exactly what you were looking for. The ability to love just like the humans. So let me ask youwas it worth it?" Shinzui blinked her vacant eyes, and a tear spilled over. Lady Slipper reached out and wiped it away with her thumb. "You told me once that love would make you happy. That only love could bring real happiness. And you keep saying that I don't understand it, that I don't know what it is and so I can't see how wonderful and important it is. Well, Orion, here you are in the Posiverse, and you've learned the wonderful, important secret of love. So tell me, has it made you happy?" Another tear followed the first, but Lady Slipper did not stop. "Because a minute ago, when you were playing that instrument, you didn't sound very happy to me." Shinzui gave a small, muffled sob then. The pink fog had settled itself completely in her head, curling around all her arguments and making them seem small and inconsequential. Lady Slipper's voice was hypnotic, alluring. "What is it that you're looking for with these humans, Orion? What can their love offer you that mine can't? Do you want companionship? I can give you that. Support and strength? I can give you that. Devotion and loyalty? I can give you that. Pleasure?" She ran a finger down the palm of Shinzui's hand, with a touch as light as silk. "I can give you anything you want. Don't you see it yet? Your happiness is with me. It always has been. Stop wasting yourself on these ungrateful humans. Stop wasting yourself on someone who will never love you in return. Come back to me."  
The blind girl's face was now streaming with tears. Her mind felt sluggish, with everything fading into a blur. Lady Slipper's voice, the tender touch of her hands, and the light, rosy scent of her hair were consuming her senses with crystal clarity, so that she could scarcely think of anything else. There was suddenly nothing she wanted more than to go back, to assume her former state and be with her wife once again. Her hands were tingling and warm as Lady Slipper continued to stroke them gently. Then, slowly, one last shard of reasoning thought pierced the fog in her brain, and Shinzui gasped, snatching her hands away. "What what have you done to me?" she breathed, rising to her feet and backing up a couple of steps unsteadily. She could feel it now, on her hands the slightly oily, greasy feel of the lotion that Lady Slipper had been unobtrusively massaging into her skin during their entire conversation. "What did you put on my hands?" she asked, though it was getting harder for her to concentrate.  
"Shhdon't fight it, Orion. It's just a little something I call 'Love Potion Lotion.' Silly name, I know. But accurate."  
"Aphrodisiac," Shinzui realized, as the mind-numbing fog continued to battle for control of her senses and she recognized the loss of control and the sudden, irresistable attraction that was pulling her to her former wife.   
Lady Slipper nodded with a somewhat satisfied smile. "With a little extra painkiller and mood elevator thrown in," she responded. Her voice was getting harder and harder to resist. "It's a beneficial thing, this human lovevery easy to manipulate if you know how."  
"You you witch," Shinzui gasped, putting her hands to her head.   
She was having a hard time maintaining her balance, and she backed up a couple more steps, trying to get away. But the aphrodisiac lotion was taking over and her non-sight senses, usually heightened, were dull. The blind girl tripped over the leg of a music stand and fell backwards on the stage, scratching her forehead on the sharp metal edge of the stand. As the pain slowly asserted itself on her conciousness, she could feel that old darkness inside welling up, cackling with glee. Lady Slipper giggled and rose to her feet, watching the struggling girl. "It's no use, Orion. You're mine. You've always been mine. I'm not going to share you with anyone else any longer. I'm taking you back where you belong." The Negaverse woman's words were irresistably seductive, and Shinzui knew then that she was fighting a losing battle. Desparately she tried recalling the things that were important to herthe faces of the Princess, of her friends. The Guardians. Centauri. The safety of the Posiverse. But the harder she tried, the harder it was for her to remember why any of those things were ever so important. The only thing she could hear, the only thing she could feel, the only thing that she wanted, was Lady Slipper. And she couldn't see anything except the roiling blackness, the awakening demon inside herself.   
"No!" she screamed out. "No, go awaystay away from me" But her voice was changing now, as the shadows emerged. It was getting deeper, more cruel. The voice of a monster. She was becoming her past again. "Get out of my head!" she hissed at it, but the darkness only laughed at her. I am you, he declared with wicked amusment. I have always been you Lady Slipper observed this display with a smug smile. Soon, the Prince of Darkness would return to her. He would be hers again. And wouldn't the Avatar be pleased? To have both the restoration of his son and an end to the Eternal Sacrifice all in one swoop. She should have thought of this lifetimes ago. She could see the words forming on Shinzui's lips, and knew what she wanted to do.   
"Say it, Orion. Just say it, and everything will be all right again."  
The last vestiges of Shinzui's purified soul were still fighting like mad. But the darkness was stronger, and Lady Slipper's mesmerizing voice was impossible to defy. "Orion" she panted, the strain contorting her face. "O Orion"  
But she was interrupted at last by a very welcome and very familiar voice. "Orion Constellation Power, Make Up!" Centauri bounded into the darkened room, shouting at the top of his lungs. At his cry, the pure, peach colored energy streamed from his eyes, striking Shinzui's Opal bracelet. The girl was lifted up from the stage and set upright as the strong, righteous power swirled around her, covering her with protection and giving her strength to fight back against the creature inside.  
"No!" Lady Slipper cried in disappointment and rage, watching helplessly as Sailor Orion took her new form in front of her. She'd been so close if Orion had only called out that phrase herself, she would have had the old Sailor Orion back. But she still had a chance. The lotion she'd put on Orion's hands might still be working, and if she could get her to drop her guard Sailor Orion dropped to the stage in her lunging position, and her eyes opened. Even in the darkness of the old music studio Lady Slipper could see the terrible flashing of those piercing silver eyes. Slowly and deliberately, Orion drew herself up. She was breathing hard, and Lady Slipper smiled to herself, knowing that her aphrodisiac was still working. As the pretty woman advanced on her, Orion found herself wondering if transforming had been a mistake. As Shinzui, the Love Potion Lotion had only been able to affect her senses of hearing and touch and smell; but now it was affecting her sight as well. Lady Slipper seemed to glow with an exquisite rosy light as she moved towards her, and Orion had never believed anyone to be so beautiful in all her lifetimes. She had the sudden urge to rush forward and take the Negaverse woman in her arms, and never let go. But she fought it, forcing herself to blink several times in an attempt to clear the pink fogginess from her vision. Lady Slipper smiled sweetly, and Orion thought her heart might stop. The rosy haired woman reached out and laid a hand on Orion's arm with a touch that felt like fire. "You can't fight your own heart, Orion," she declared musically, bringing her face within a few inches of Sailor Orion's. "You want me too. I know you dowhy bother struggling?" Orion's eyes were fastened on the full, sensuous lips as they moved with seductive power, and she swallowed hard. Lady Slipper nodded in understanding and put one hand behind the taller girl's head. "I love you, Orion," she whispered, and tilted her chin up for a kiss.  
But it was those last words that gave Orion the jolt she needed to resist, and the Sacrificial Soldier pulled away from Lady Slipper, who stared at her in surprise. "But I love someone else." Closing her eyes, Orion summoned her Music Sphere. The glowing peach orb materialized in front of her, hovering above her hands as it began to play an achingly soft, mournful melody. Lady Slipper recognized it as the music that Shinzui had been playing on the saxophone only a few minutes before, and she was spellbound by the pain in the music that even she could feel. Sailor Orion gazed into the Music Sphere for a moment, gathering her strength, and when she looked up the anguish in those silver eyes nearly took Lady Slipper's breath away. Orion took a breath, and began to sing. 

_"I will not deny there is darkness inside_  
_ I cannot fight the truth of what I'd like to hide  
Love used to be such a mystery  
Something that I could not see  
But wanted in a way I can't describe  
You were supposed to be  
The one who shared that love with me  
Still I can't demand   
Feelings you don't understand_

_Love is a gift, not a mystery  
I needed a Princess to show this to me  
I have learned that power can easily be lost  
Love will last forever and for me it's worth the cost_

_I believed I could capture love and make it mine  
I destroyed a heart because I could not see the line  
I murdered everything I touched  
Unaware what I wanted so much  
Was on the other side of time  
I found what I was looking for  
In someone whose heart was pure  
Now you say you want me back  
Now can you offer me what you used to lack_

_Love is a gift, not a mystery  
You don't even know what the word means  
I have learned that power can easily be lost  
Love will last forever and for me it's worth the cost_

_ I give up all my power, all my ambition too  
I give them up so take them, they now belong to you  
The boundary of dark and light I have already crossed  
And no matter what I must give up, I find it worth the cost  
I find it worth the cost  
Love is worth the cost." _

As the music soared through the room, Orion could feel the honesty and purity of it cleansing away the effects of the aphrodisiac. All the tension and heartbreak that had been colliding inside of her transferred itself into the music, filling her with a resigned, gentle sort of peace. And Lady Slipper, who could now feel the sorrow and longing that Orion had been holding inside, was overwhelmed by the soft wave of emotion that the music was enveloping her in. As the last notes faded away, sea-green eyes met silver ones; and simultaneously a tear trickled down the cheeks of both women. Lady Slipper drew a ragged breath and stepped back unsteadily as the music released her from its spell, and she shook her head defiantly. "I WILL get you back, Orion," she declared breathlessly. "You're too special to be wasted here." Then, composing herself, she turned away. "But I have a schedule to keep. We'll have to continue this conversation later." And the Negaverse woman disappeared.  
Sailor Orion watched her go, a new strength straightening her shoulders. She turned to Centauri. "Thank you, old friend," she said quietly, her musical tones ringing through the now silent studio. "You saved my soul." The golden retriever came up to her and nuzzled her hand.   
"Are you going to be all right, Sailor Orion?" he asked with concern.  
A small smile curved her lips. "Yes. Everything's going to be fine." She ruffled the silky golden fur of his ears. "Eternal Curse or no Eternal Curse. I'll survive, Centauri. It's what I'm good at." 

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Minako exclaimed happily as she plopped her duffel bag down on the sidewalk and surveyed the sign in the window once again. "I'm so glad you could all come."  
Usagi nodded, setting her backpack down next to Minako's, and Chibiusa put her little rabbit knapsack beside it. "I'm glad Mom gave us permission," the petite blond enthused.   
Chibiusa scowled at her. "She almost didn't. Ikuko-mommy only let you come because you promised to study with Ami-chan, remember? After that awful grade you got on your last algebra testmmmph." The little girl was cut off as Usagi clapped her hand over her future daughter's mouth.  
"Leave me alone. Algebra is just too hard for a pretty girl like me. I'm going to be a queen someday, remember? What do I need algebra for?"  
"So that your people will have respect for you, for one thing," Ami chimed in, looking up from her chemistry book and pushing her glasses back up on her nose. "No one will want to follow an uneducated monarch." She pulled her blue backpack from her shoulders and laid it on the sidewalk next to the others. "So come over here and let's get started. I'm going to give you twenty problems and I want them all worked out before we go to sleep."  
Usagi moaned piteously as Rei shoved her towards the sidewalk where Ami was taking a seat. Rei grinned wickedly and turned to their blue-haired friend. "Don't worry, Ami-chan. I'll make sure she gets them all done," she assured her. Usagi glared up at the raven-haired priestess and stuck out her tongue before reluctantly settling down beside Ami.  
"We all will," Makoto affirmed teasingly, dropping her own gym bag on the pile. She looked up at the sky. "The weatherman said it's not supposed to snow tonight," she said, "but it's still gonna get pretty cold. I think I'm going to go for a little run and warm up. Anyone want to come with me?"  
Minako gazed at their brunette friend. Even though it was about forty degrees outside, Makoto was only wearing a t-shirt and workout leggings. Everyone else was bundled up in coats and jeans. "I don't know how you do that, Mako-chan," she commented dryly. "It's February and it's freezing, and you're not even cold."  
Makoto shrugged. "Guess I'm just hot-blooded," she responded.  
"That reminds me," Ami spoke up. "Do any of you realize how close the vernal equinox is?"  
Usagi frowned. "Why would we care?"  
Chibiusa smacked the top of her future mother's head. "_Baka-_Usagi. Shinzui-san told us she has to die on the vernal equinox. Remember?" Usagi scowled at her and rubbed her smarting scalp.  
"That's right," Rei recalled, sitting on the pavement across from Ami. "When is it, Ami-chan?"  
Ami's brow crinkled. "March 20th," she responded, and Makoto gasped, sitting down hard on the cement and forgetting all about her run.  
"That's only about a month away," she pointed out unnecessarily, and Ami nodded.   
"What are we going to do?" Minako asked, joining them.  
Ami shook her head. "Shinzui said the Guardians have been looking for an alternative to the sacrifice. Something that could seal the gate without having to take a life. I'm going to find that alternative." She pulled her mini-computer out of her backpack. "I've been running formulas and simulations through the database for the last few days, and still haven't come up with anything. I've been using the readings I scanned from the Doomsday Gate the last time we were there, trying to calculate how much energy it would take to seal it."  
Usagi peered over the blue-haired girl's shoulder, but the numbers and symbols flying up the screen just made her dizzy. "We can do it," she declared firmly, scrunching up her nose as she tried to make sense of the fleeting algorithms. "We defeated Queen Beryl. We defeated the Black Moon family and Wiseman. We defeated Pharoah 90. We've saved the world from evil flowers and dream holes. Surely we can seal a Gate, if we all work together."  
"It might not be that simple," Ami sighed. "All the enemies from the Negaverse that we've faced in the past have been escapees from the Doomsday Gate. Metallia and Beryl both broke through, according to my calculations, during Sailor Orion's previous sacrifice a thousand years ago, and that's when they attacked the Silver Millenium. Pharoah 90 came a long time before thatmy computer can't even calculate how long ago it was that he escaped. And the Black Moon family, from what I can tell, drew its power from the Doomsday Gate of the future. Fiore's Kisenian Flower and the Black Dream Hole were both products of the negative energy that leaked from the Gate. The Gate isn't just another enemy, guysit's the source of all our enemies. Orion wasn't lying when she said that the Posiverse would be annihilated if the Gate were opened. The Negaforce energy on the other side is far more powerful than the Posiforce on our side."  
Minako looked a little scared. "But we can't just let her die, Ami-chan. We have to help her."  
Chibiusa nodded determinedly. "I believe in you, Ami-chan. You can do it."  
Ami looked up at the little girl gratefully. "Arigatou, Chibiusa-chan."  
"Hello, girls. Lovely evening, isn't it?" The six girls on the sidewalk leapt to their feet as soon as they recognized the speaker.  
"You!" Makoto growled, glaring at Lady Slipper.   
The Negaverse woman smiled unpleasantly. "I'm not interested in you this evening, Jupiter." She turned to the other girls. "Now, which one of you ladies is Sailor Venus?"  
Rei seized Minako's hand and squeezed it warningly before responding. "None of your business."  
Lady Slipper clucked her tongue condescendingly. "Now, now, that's not very polite."  
Ami glared at her. "We don't have to be polite to someone who is attacking our friends."  
The sea-green eyes narrowed. "Well, let me put it another way. Whichever one of you is Venus had better come with me this instantOr I might just start randomly hurting things. Or people." She jerked her head towards the sidewalk, where the girls could see more people with campout gear beginning to form a line to the Beauty Academy, all wanting to take part in the free makeovers promised the next day. Minako's eyes widened as she realized that there were a lot of small children in the group, and shuddered as she remembered what Lady Slipper had almost done to baby Hotaru. Resolve entered her eyes, and ignoring her friends' protests, she stepped forward.   
"It's me," she said calmly. "I'm Sailor Venus, champion of love and beauty. And in the name of Venus, I'm not going to let you hurt anyone."  
Ami stepped forward. "No, I'm Sailor Venus," she declared, lying so smoothly that the others looked at her in shock. Rei, however, quickly caught on and stepped forward herself.  
"No. I am."  
Chibiusa elbowed her way between them. "That's not true. You know perfectly well that I'm Venus." And then even Usagi marched up.   
"You're all lying. It's me."   
Makoto looked at all of her friends proudly, wishing that she could help. But Lady Slipper already knew it wasn't her, so she just turned to look at the Negaverse woman, wondering what she'd do now. Lady Slipper's eyes never flinched from Minako's face. Those strong blue eyesshe recognized them now. Venus had always been the Senshi leader of the Moon Princess' entourage, and there was no mistaking the authority and passion there. Surely this one would carry the Silver Dagger in her veins. Ignoring the others, she extended a hand to Minako. "Let's go, Sailor Venus."  
"No! Minako-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, but as her blond friend moved to stand beside Lady Slipper, the rose-haired woman pulled out her little knife and held it up in warning.   
"You. Be silent." She tapped the blade of the knife with her finger, and a drop of black liquid formed at the tip. The liquid fell to the sidewalk, and as the _jaki_ began to form, Lady Slipper cocked an eyebrow. "Just a little something to keep you all busy until we're through," she smirked, and then pointed the knife at Minako. "Move."  
The others watched helplessly as Minako was led away by the evil woman. Their way was blocked by the steadily developing jaki in their path. Rei sighed. "Come on, everyone. We'd better transform."  
Lady Slipper forced Minako to cross the street, leading her to a public restroom about a block away. With the knifepoint at her back, Minako had no choice but to enter the vacant bathroom. Lady Slipper followed behind, then turned and locked the door so Minako would not escape and no one would interrupt them. "Now," Lady Slipper said, a cold smile crossing her features. "Let's just retrieve that Dagger, shall we? Give me your arm." Minako swallowed hard, but bravely held out her arm. She gave a little cry as the cold blade parted the skin of her forearm with stinging pain. She stared down at the narrow line of blood. Lady Slipper reached down and picked up her little fire opal, which she'd mounted to a chain at her waist for easy access, and waved the stone over Minako's arm eagerly. Minako felt a little surge of triumph at the disappointment on Lady Slipper's face as her blood gave no reaction to the opal at all. Of course, she'd known there wouldn't beShinzui had already tested her earlier. But it was amusing to see how the evil woman's face fell.   
"Guess it's not me, huh?" she grinned, pulling her arm back.  
Lady Slipper frowned. "Maybe not. But you're still a Sailor Senshi. And your death will make my mission much easier." She lifted the knife with a wild glee in her eyes. Minako dodged as the knife came down, missing her by scarcely a centimeter.   
"You're not playing fair, Lady Slipper," she mocked. "Let me even the playing field first. Venus Star Power, Makeup!" The whirling golden hearts streamed around her body as she transformed. "Venus Power Kick!" she cried, executing a spinning, flying kick that any martial arts master would have appreciated. Her foot connected with the door of the bathroom, splintering the wood and breaking the lock. Lady Slipper followed Venus out into the street.  
"Foolish girl," she sneered. "You think we're even now?" She extended one hand, and a cloud of venomous green gas billowed out to surround Sailor Venus. As the golden-haired Senshi began to choke, Lady Slipper smiled cruelly. "I have more power in my pinky finger than you've ever had since the dawn of time. You really think you can defeat me?"  
"I can try," Venus gasped out, despite the burning, noxious gas. She lifted one arm. "Crescent Beam!" The gold energy streamed from her fingertip towards the Negaverse woman, who didn't bother to move out of the way. The two crescent moons got within a foot of Lady Slipper's face, and dissipated harmlessly in a shower of sparks. Lady Slipper snorted derisively.   
"Pitiful. Really." She rolled her eyes and held up her hand again, this time causing a blast of evil energy to slam into Venus' body, knocking the Senshi thirty feet across the pavement. Lady Slipper cocked a rosy eyebrow. "I can destroy you with one hand tied behind my back."  
"I won't let that happen." Lady Slipper turned to see Sailor Mercury standing defiantly in her way. Over Mercury's shoulder she could also see that Sailor Orion had showed up. Orion and Sailor Moon were busy combining their powers to get rid of her _jaki,_ and she knew she was running out of time. Her gaze returned to Mercury as the small blue soldier powered her attack. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" Lady Slipper didn't dodge this attack either, confident that her powers were greatly superior to this little upstart. So it was with great surprise that the rose-haired woman found herself doused with icy water and positive energy all at once in a liquid silver rush. _How did she do that? _Lady Slipper marveled in shock, shaking the water from her bangs. _She shouldn't have been able to touch me. This little one is more powerful than I'd thought. I wonder_ But she kept the smile on her face.   
"Impressive, Miss Mercury. But I could take all of you Sailor Planets without breaking a sweat."  
"Yes, but can you stand against a Sailor Constellation?" Sailor Orion came striding up behind Mercury, her massive height causing the smaller soldier to look almost like a child. She gave a brief, encouraging squeeze to Mercury's shoulders, then strode over to where Venus was lying on the pavement and helped her to stand up. Turning to face Lady Slipper, Orion lifted an eyebrow. "You want to try picking on someone from your own side of the universe?" Lady Slipper grinned at the familiar old challenge, and in response sent her most powerful blast of energy towards her former partner. The blast crashed into Orion, causing her to fly backwards through the plate glass window of the shop on the other side of the street. Sailor Moon screamed, but a moment later Orion came striding back through the window seemingly unscathed other than a bloody lip. She too was grinning sadistically. "My turn," she growled, the Orion Music Sphere floating up over her shoulder. "Get down!" she yelled to the other Senshi, who instantly dove for cover. "Orion Mini-Sphere Detonation!" The tiny sphere budded off from the Music Sphere, and in one smooth motion Sailor Orion seized it in her hand and hurled it at Lady Slipper. In a flash of light an an explosion that rocked the ground, the mini-sphere detonated; and Lady Slipper was gone.  
"Did you kill her?" Sailor Moon asked, scratching her head as she gazed out at the spot where Lady Slipper had been standing.  
"No." Orion stared into the empty street with a strange expression. "She'll be coming back. You can count on it." She lifted her bracelet, pressing the peach Opal.  
"But, Sailor Orion" It was too late. Orion had vanished into thin air. Sailor Moon sighed and turned to her friends. "I don't get it. What's going on?"  
Mars blinked. Just then, she'd sensed somethingsome sort of dark cloud that she didn't understand, hanging over their tall friend. She shook her head slowly. "You know something, Sailor Moon? I don't think we really want to know." 

  



	25. Death in the water! Mercury's turn under...

Part Twenty-Five: Death in the water! Mercury's turn under the knife   
Guardian Friend looked up from the heavy book on the table with a scowl. "Demetrius. You're going to wear tracks in the floor with all your pacing." The youthful Guardian turned to face him, and Oberon could see the unhappiness in the sapphire eyes. He sighed. "The Child again," he stated knowingly, closing the book. "What is it, Guardian Brother?"  
Demetrius shook his head. "It's getting harder for her, Oberon. The Curse, I mean. It's causing her more and more pain every day and I just can't stand it." He returned to his pacing.   
Guardian Friend looked down at the cover of the book in front of him. "I know how hard it is for you, Demetrius. But you know as well as I that there is nothing any of us can do about the Curse. The Child brought it upon herself, and she's the only one who can lift it. She has to forgive herself before she will be free from it, you know that."  
The smaller Guardian frowned. "But it's been so long, Oberon over a thousand lifetimes of it. Don't you think she's done enough penance by now? She doesn't deserve this."  
"I agree with you, Guardian Brother." Oberon took a deep breath. "But it doesn't matter that you and I think she's suffered enough. The Child doesn't think soand that's what counts."  
"But" Demetrius gave a small growl of frustration. "To spend entire lifetimes desperately in love with someone who will never love you back! I can't imagine anything worse. And it doesn't seem to matter how many lifetimes the Child goes through. The Curse is always there. Why can't she forgive herself for the past? It was over a million years ago, Guardian Friend. It's about time that she realizes what a wonderful, beautiful person she is. There's no one in the universe with such courage and nobility. She isn't even a shadow of what she used to bewhy can't she see that?"  
A small smile crossed Oberon's face as he watched his overwrought friend. "Perhaps, Demetrius, she knows herself better than you do."   
"Impossible." Guardian Brother shook his head. "I've watched over her all her lives. I feel what she feels. She's with me, here, always." He placed a hand over his heart. "The Child is too selfless to know herself like I do. She feels darkness inside and assumes it's the Prince of Darkness, rising up to conquer her again. She just doesn't understand that some humans have a natural dark side. It's to be expected, especially in a human who was originally ALL darkness. And she doesn't realize that the Prince could never take her over nowthere's too much light, and too much love of the light in her for that to happen. She doesn't have to be afraid anymore." Demetrius stopped pacing for a moment and stood before the table. "I've told her this over and over, but she doesn't believe me. I wish she could know herself through my eyes. The Eternal Curse wouldn't last for a second if she could."   
The intellectual Guardian chuckled. "Demetrius, we all know you've been in love with the Child for millennia. Why don't you just tell her how you feel? Perhaps if she was aware of your feelings for her, she might begin to see herself as you say, the way that you do."   
There was sadness in the youthful face as Guardian Brother shook his head. "No. She's not like that, Oberon. I know her too wellthe Curse fills her heart so that there's no room for me. She could never love me as long as she's in love with the mistakes of her past." He suddenly pounded the table with his fist. "It's just not right! The one person in existence that she's in love with is the one person who can never love her back. And the people who DO love her can't get close to her."   
"Meaning you."   
"Meaning me." Demetrius rubbed his temples wearily, his features obscured in the darkness of his hooded cloak. "I do love her, Oberon. I always willshe's the most amazing person I've ever known. But telling her wouldn't do any good. She wouldn't even hear me."   
"Are you sure?" The quiet response caused Demetrius to look up. Guardian Friend was thoughtful. "This lifetime, Guardian Brother, is different from all the ones before. We have talked about it, remember? Something is happening here. There is a sort of movement in the Posiforce that we've never sensed before. Perhaps, Demetrius, you should tell her, and see what happens. It could be that this lifetime will change everything."   
There was doubt in the spiritual Guardian's face, but Oberon could also see a new glimmer of hope which made him smile. "Do you really think so, Guardian Friend?"   
Oberon gave a slow nod. "I do. Tell her, Demetrius. It couldn't hurt anythingand it will make you feel better getting it into the open. And at least the Child will have the encouragement of knowing that there is someone who loves her, even if it is not the love she's looking for."   
A rueful grin appeared on Demetrius' face. "I'm not sure that makes me feel much better, Guardian Friend," he remarked wryly. "But you're right. Even if I'm not the one she wants, it might be a comfort to her to know that there is someone in the Posiverse who would be hers for the taking. Maybe someday she'll get tired of her love being unreturned and she'll come to me, hmm?"    
Oberon gave an equally rueful smile. "You never know." He opened his book again. "Now, if you don't mind, Demetrius, I'd appreciate it if you'd give me a little time alone. I'm still working on finding a solution to the Sacrifice before the vernal equinox, and it's very difficult to get work done with you moping about like a lovesick sheep."   
Guardian Brother laughed and took his leave of the library, and Oberon, with another bemused chuckle, returned to his studies.

********** 

The figure on the twisted throne glowered down at the woman before him. "Lady Slipper. Will you please explain to me what you were doing with that aphrodisiac lotion and my wretched son? What precisely were you trying to accomplish with such foolishness?"   
Lady Slipper's sea-green eyes widened. "Avatar, I was trying to bring him back to us," she replied. "I thought you would be pleased."   
"Pleased?!" the Avatar roared, rising out of his throne. A wave of black energy burst from his eyes, slamming into Lady Slipper and tossing her against the opposite wall like a rag doll. Lady Slipper cried out in pain and surprise as the burning power scorched her skin and hair. The Avatar continued to glare at her. "Pleased?!!" he repeated in rage. "Why, pray tell, would you think that returning that traitorous, cowardly, impudent, asinine, idiotic excuse for a son to the Negaverse would in any way please me? He was no good when he was here, always daydreaming and mooning after that human girlhe was a waste of power and a waste of time, and we're better off without him. We're trying to KILL Orion, not restore him, Lady Slipper, and don't you forget it."   
The battered woman winced and nodded humbly. "Yes, Avatar." _He's scared._ Lady Slipper's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. _He always did feel threatened by Orion, I recallOrion has so much power. Sailor Orion was the original Avatar at the dawn of timeand the Avatar now was only supposed to be a temporary replacement, just like Sailor Moon's daughter ChibiMoon. _She did her best to keep the smug smile from her face as she picked herself up off the floor. _No wonder he doesn't want Orion back. The Avatar is drunk with power, and if Orion comes back he'll take that power away._ Keeping her head down, she stood before the throne again. The Avatar seemed to have calmed himself at her display of humility, and he sat back down.   
"Now. I want to return to the task at handfinding that Silver Dagger. You've eliminated five of the possibilities, correct?"   
Lady Slipper nodded. "Yes, Avatar. Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus. I will be testing Sailor Mercury next. She has a self-sacrificing spirit which coincides well with the Dagger's purpose, and I think that she could be the carrier."   
"Very good," the Avatar affirmed with satisfaction. "Am I correct in assuming that you will be targeting Tokyo's water supply, then?"   
Lady Slipper gave a cruel smile and her eyes lit. "That is correct. Mercury is the Senshi of Air, but her powers come from light water and she has always had an affinity for the Realm of Water as well. I'm going to slip a little something special into the water supply that is guaranteed to get her attention."   
The Avatar tilted his head to the side with amusement. "Try not to have too much fun," he commented dryly. "You have my permission to go. Bring me that Dagger."   
The Negaverse woman gave a low bow, and left the throne room. There was a little extra bounce in her stepyet another excuse to play around in her labs with the poisons she loved so much. Now, what should she use? A hallucinogen? A narcotic? Perhaps a little strychninea gleeful smile curved her lips as she strode down the hall towards her laboratories. This was going to be fun.

********** 

Usagi snatched Minako's arm and inspected it carefully. "Are you sure you're all better now, Minako-chan?" she inquired anxiously. "Lady Slipper cut your arm, didn't she?"   
Minako laughed. "I'm fine, Usagi-chan. Lady Slipper wasn't as gentle as Shinzui-san was when she tested me, but the cut healed just as fast thanks to her Music Sphere." She laid back on the grass. The girls had agreed to meet in the park rather than at the temple after school, as today was much warmer than previous weeks and they wanted to enjoy the sunshine as much as possible before the cold came back.   
Usagi shook her head, blue eyes wide. "I don't know how you did that, Minako-chan," she breathed. "Just standing there and letting her cut you open! I couldn't do that."   
Rei snorted. "We know. We were there when Shinzui-san asked to test you, remember? I've never seen such a ridiculous display of tears in my life."   
The petite blond bristled. "It's not my fault if I don't like needles!" she howled. "I don't even like getting flu shotsI don't want anyone sticking pins in my fingers."   
"It's all right, Princess." The girls turned to see the blind girl standing behind them with a smile.   
"Shinzui-san!" Usagi exclaimed happily, looking up at her.   
"I know you don't like the sight of blood, Princess. And like I told you at the timeI will always respect your wishes. If you do not want me to test you, I will not." The blind girl patted Centauri's head as she spoke and Usagi looked at her gratefully.   
Makoto shook her head, though. "But Shinzui-san, what if Usagi is the carrier of the Dagger? How will you get it if she isn't tested?"   
"The Dagger will come to us when it is time, I am certain of it," came the reply.    
"What happens if it doesn't?" Ami wanted to know.   
Shinzui shrugged. "I really don't knowthat's never happened before. I suppose if the Dagger is not found, the Sacrifice would have to take place without it."   
"Is that possible?" Rei asked.   
"I don't knowthe Dagger is the only weapon which has the power to separate my soul from my body while preserving my soul's strength for the battle with the opposing forces of the Gate. If the Sacrifice were to take place without it, there's no way of knowing whether or not I would have enough strength to form the seal." The blind girl tipped her head. "But I'm not going to worry about it. We'll find the Daggerit is an item of Realm energy. It cannot resist its own destiny. The Silver Dagger will come to us."   
Ami frowned. "I've been working on an algorithm for calculating the amount of energy that it requires to seal the Gate," she told them. "So far, the results I'm seeing indicate that the required energy is significant, but not astronomical. So I don't understand why a soul is necessary to form a seal."   
Shinzui gave a small smile. "It's not a matter of mathematical calculations, Ami-chan," she responded softly. "The Gate is not a mathematical problem. It follows no natural laws. When I" she paused and rethought her words, "when the Prince of Darkness created the Doomsday Gate, he used the full power of his Realm, the Realm of Soul, to form it. It is a thing not of the physical world. It can't be solved like a simple equation." There was a sudden soft beeping at her wrist, and the girls could see that Shinzui's Fire Opal bracelet was pulsing with faint light. The blind girl's eyebrows went up. "It sounds like the Guardians wish to meet with me," she told them. "I'd better gobut I'll stop by the temple later, Rei-chan, if that's all right. I could use a little calming meditation today."   
Rei tilted her head curiously. "That's every day this week," she commented. "Is something bothering you, Shinzui-san?"   
Shinzui smiled, but Rei could sense it againthat dark cloud hanging ominously over the blind girl's heart. "I'm all right," she replied sweetly. "Justa little tired, I suppose. It's not uncommon at this point, so close to the Sacrifice. I need to bolster my spirit a bit." She offered another gentle smile that did not fool Rei in the slightest. "Have a lovely afternoon, girls. Princess." She inclined her head ever so slightly towards Usagi. And then she was gone.

********** 

As Shinzui stepped into the heated, steaming darkness of the tunnels, she felt the transformation as her silk blouse and long, flowered skirt merged and flowed into the long white sacrificial gown she always wore in the presence of the Guardians. After a moment, her blindness faded away until she was able to see the rising billows of stem hissing from the pipes overhead. Her pale silvery hair released itself from the neat bun at the base of her neck, cascading down her shoulders softly like a cloud, and her forehead tingled, reminding her that the Orion symbol was now glowing there. The Sacred Child blinked then, pausing a moment to allow her newly recovered vision to adjust to the sudden sensation of sight. She turned to her canine companion. "Stay here, Centauri." The retriever nodded, and she began to glide over the cold cemented floor of the tunnels towards the meeting place.   
She was coming. He could feel her approaching presence and a knot of anxiety balled his chest. Maybe this was a mistake. Things were just finethey'd been just fine for millennia. Was it really necessary to risk the truth now? Wouldn't it be easier, and wiser, to just let everything remain the way it was? Demetrius briefly considered returning to the Celestial Hall. He didn't feel ready. What if she was confused, or angered, by the revelation of his feelings? Or worse, what if she didn't care at all? He had fallen in love with the Child from the moment she entered the Celestial Hall, a frightened and bedraggled waif of a girl, hopeless and tortured with guilt. He'd watched her struggling to right the deeds of her past self with an almost religious zeal, and it broke his heart. From the very beginning he'd been closely, oddly attached to the Child; he could feel what she was feeling, sometimes so keenly that it almost felt as if he was reading her mind. The power of her soul was so keen and so overpowering that he could never quite rid himself of it. Over the years she'd become a part of him, connected in a way that even the Guardian of spirit could not quite explain or understand. He knew the depth of her pain, the pain that she never showed to anyone. He knew how much life hurt her. He knew how much the Eternal Curse cost her. It was one of the only things that made the Sacrifice bearable for him, realizing that the physical pain of the Sacrifice was a welcome release from the internal pain of the Curse. No one, not even the other Guardians, had any inkling of how much she suffered in loving someone she could not have. And she had never complained.   
It was too late for a retreat now. He could see her coming towards him, her feet scarcely seeming to touch the ground as if she were floating rather than walking. The white of her dress, the silver of her hair and eyes, made her appear to be a sort of ethereal goddess. His heart for a moment ceased to beat and it was as if everything was moving in slow motion, and she consumed his senses. But his fortitude returned to him as her tinkling voice broke the hollow quiet. "Guardian Brother. What is it? Is something wrong?"   
Demetrius sighed. There was no turning back. "Yes, Child. But not with me." He looked at her pointedly, the brilliant sapphire eyes piercing into her silver ones.   
The Child flushed a little. She should have known that her internal struggles would not go unnoticed by the Guardian of Spirit, and she berated herself for not having kept a tighter control on the pain. She hadn't meant to involve Demetrius in her own personal battles. Guardian Brother felt the flash of guilt that went through her, and he shook his head quickly. "No, don't do that," he ordered firmly. "Your pain cannot be locked inside forever, Child. And I want you to let me share it with you."   
Her eyes were tender. "But you shouldn't have to, Demetrius." The sadness in her face made his heart heavy. "I brought this on myself. You know that. And it's no more than I deserve."   
"I don't believe that. You've paid your debt in blood and tears, Child. You've suffered more than enough."   
"I could never suffer enough." She shook her head. "Billions of lives, Guardian Brother. Billionsthat I wiped out for the rest of eternity in the blink of an eye. To make up for it I would have to live and die a billion lives myself. And even then, it won't bring a single one of them back." He could see tears on her cheeks now. "I curse myself every day for what I've done."   
"And that's the problem," Guardian Brother sighed. "You've placed the Eternal Curse on your own head, and you've lived with it for so long that you don't know how to live without it. It causes you so much pain." He could feel tears in his own eyes now. "It's not fair. You've given up everything, trying to atone for something which can never be undone. You're the most selfless person I've ever known, Childyou shouldn't have to endure all this hurt and loneliness."   
A slight smile curved the young woman's lips. "Not the most selfless, Demetrius. There is one much more selfless than I, and every time I see her I am reminded of what I truly want to be." The smile grew a bit. "The Princess is everything that I would like to be. How do you think she would react if she were in my place?"   
Demetrius cocked an eyebrow. "I think we'd be hearing her wailing all the way to the Celestial Hall," he commented wryly. But at the Child's frown, he sighed. "She'd do what she had to do," he admitted seriously. "With a cheerful heart."   
The Child nodded slowly. "That's what I want-- a cheerful heart. Maybe that's why I must sufferto teach my heart to find cheer in what's really important. Before the Princess, my only cheer was in causing death and pain to others. Now, I'm trying to learn to find cheer in my own death and my own pain for the sake of others. It's poetic justice."   
Demetrius gazed at her beautiful, sad face, and reached up to touch her cheek. "I love you so much," he said suddenly, without thinking.   
She smiled. "I know. I love you tooyou Guardians are my best friends in the world. I don't know what I'd do without you."   
"That's not what I meant." The butterflies in his stomach were gone now. This felt right and he was no longer afraid. She needed to hear this. "I mean, I love you." His voice was very gentle, and he held her eyes with his own, watching her face as the meaning of his words reached her. He held his breath for her reaction. To his surprise, her tear-filled eyes spilled over, and she turned away from him without speaking. "Child?"   
After a moment he could hear her bell-like voice, clouded with sorrow. "Don't, Guardian Brother. Don't waste your emotion on me like that. I'm not worth it."   
"You're more than worth it," Demetrius insisted. He could feel guilt welling up in her again. "I don't expect anything from you," he said quietly. "I just wanted you to know how I feel, Child. It's all right. You don't have to love me in return, I understand."   
"I _can't _love you that way, Demetrius. And you know it. You know I'm cursed to love someone else." Her voice was despairing. "But I've spent millennia in love with a person who can never return my feelings. I don't want to put you through that too."   
"I don't think either of us has a choice," he answered softly, and she turned towards him then, meeting his eyes. They were gentle and full of compassion, and she realized that he was right. He loved her; she could see it in his eyes, a sweet haunted look that she recognized all too well, and she knew that he could not control it any more than she could. She broke into uncontrollable tears then.   
"I'm sorry, Guardian Brother," she sobbed, turning away again. "I'm so sorry." The Child took a step away. She had to leave, to get out of there before she caused both of them any more pain. But as she stepped forward, her knees buckled underneath her, unable to support the weight of her heart. She would have crumpled to the floor but for his strong arms which suddenly materialized around her, drawing her up and holding her against him. She could not fight it anymore, and she gave into the pain for the first time in thousands of years. He held her to his heart, marveling at the sudden release he felt from her. Never before had he seen her do this, make herself so vulnerable and open. She had always kept such a tight reign over her sorrow, one that he could feel in a sort of pained tension all the time. The other Guardians had been right, he realized. There was something very different in this cycle of the Sacrifice. Things were happening that had never occurred in any of the previous ones. He held onto the girl in his arms, letting her cling to him, absorbing her pain eagerly as he'd wanted to do for thousands of lifetimes. She was finally sharing it with him, and he was going to take up as much of it as he could during this rare lapse in her control.   
The Child felt a sort of peace flowing into her, and she knew where it was coming from. After a few minutes her tears subsided. Guardian Brother was projecting his comfort and love to her in soothing, calming waves, and she was finally able to pull back and look him in the face. "I am sorry, Demetrius," she said, her voice still quavering but noticeably steadier. "I wish I wish I could love you the way that you want me to. It would make everything so much easier."   
Guardian Brother shook his head, with a tender smile. "Someday, Childsomeday we will find the answer. Someday you will be able to break the Curse with forgiveness. And then, maybe, we can be together. I can wait for you. I've waited millennia already." He tilted his head. "I just want you to remember, whenever you are despairing of unrequited love, that there is someone else in the Posiverse who loves youvery much."   
She nodded, and pulled him into a hug. The familiar farewell brought a lump to his throat. "Thank you, Demetrius," she whispered sincerely. He did not trust his voice to respond; but held her a few moments longer than usual.    
_ We will find the answers, Child_, he vowed silently. _For both of us._

********* 

"MomI don't feel so good." Usagi flopped down on the couch in the living room, and Tsukino Ikuko came out of the kitchen with a slight smile.   
"Well, Usagi-chan, maybe you shouldn't have eaten that entire pie I made this morning," she teased, coming over to look at her daughter. "But you do look unusually pale." She reached out and laid a hand on Usagi's forehead.   
"I didn't eat it allChibiusa had at least three pieces."   
"You're burning up!!" Ikuko exclaimed, feeling the heat radiating from the girl's skin. She pulled her hand away. "Come with me. We need to take you to the emergency room. You've probably caught the flu, all this running around in the snow and wind without a coat."   
Luna, who was perched on the edge of the couch, had to stifle a snicker. She'd only warned Usagi about her carelessness a thousand times. Served her right if she'd caught cold. But that snicker quickly dissipated as Chibiusa entered the room, also looking very pale and sick. "Ikuko-mommymy head hurts."    
Ikuko frowned worriedly. "Well, it looks like you two girls have caught the same bug," she declared. "Let's goif Dr. Mizuno is at the hospital, we can ask her about it. There must be something going around." The Tsukino women headed for the garage, with Usagi and Chibiusa both trying to outmoan one another all the way.

********** 

"What's going on?" Ikuko marveled, looking around the hospital waiting room in surprise. It was full of people who seemed to have the same symptoms as her girls. They were all sitting in chairs against the wall, skin blanched and sweat pouring. Through the double doors that led into the hall she caught sight of Dr. Mizuno, Ami's mother, in her white lab coat. She turned to her daughter. "Usagi-chan, stay here and watch over Chibiusa-chan. I'm going to go see if I can find out what all of this is about." She headed down the hall towards the pretty doctor.   
"Usagi-chan!" Usagi looked up to see Ami coming towards them with an expression of worry on her face.    
"Ami-chanwhat's happening? Why is everybody sick?"   
"Did you drink any water today?" the blue haired girl inquired.   
Usagi nodded. "Mom says we're supposed to drink six glasses a day. It's good for you," she answered, trying to sound intelligent. The effect was somewhat diminished, however, as her head began to pound a little harder and she whimpered pitifully. "Ow, I hate headaches," she whined, putting her fingers to her temples.   
Ami shook her head. "As far as they can tell, someone has been poisoning the water supply in different districts around Tokyo," she told them, her blue eyes narrowing. "Minako and Makoto just came in a few minutes before you, and they're both sick too. I even saw Setsuna-san down the hall getting treated for it. The only reason that I'm not affected is because my mother always insists bottled water is healthier." She handed Usagi a bottle of pre-purified water. "Here, Usagi-chan. If you get thirsty, drink thisdon't use the water fountains until we find out what's happening."   
Luna poked her head out of Usagi's shoulder bag, which was sitting on the floor. "It sounds like the work of the Negaverse to me," she declared. "Ami-chan, do you suppose that Lady Slipper is behind all this? She seems to specialize in poisons."   
Ami scowled. "If it is her, she's gone too far this time." Her fist clenched. "In the name of Mercury I will punish her for defiling our waters with her evil." She straightened her shoulders. "If you see any of the others who aren't sick, Usagi-chan, tell them to meet me at the Tokyo water treatment center."   
Chibiusa's eyes widened. "What are you going to do, Ami-chan?"   
The blue eyes glittered. "I'm going to get to the bottom of all of this."   
"Ami-chan, wait" Usagi tried to say, but Ami was already marching out the waiting room doors. Usagi shook her head and tried to stand up. "She can't fight Lady Slipper alone," she said, but nearly fell as a wave of dizziness overtook her.   
"Usagi-chan, you can't go anywhere," Chibiusa pointed out. "We can barely stand up."    
Usagi's face was still determined, and she pulled out her communicator. "Rei-chan? Haruka-san? Michiru-san? Is anybody there?"   
After a second Rei's face crackled into view. "Hey, Usagi-chan. Wow, you look terrible."   
Usagi stuck her tongue out at the screen, and so Chibiusa snatched the communicator away. "Rei-chan, there's something weird going on. Everybody's getting sick and Ami-chan says that someone's been poisoning the water. She went to investigate, and Luna thinks it might be Lady Slipper behind all this. If it turns out to really be Lady Slipper Ami-chan is going to need some helpcan you meet her at the water treatment center?" The little girl rattled all of this off in one breath.   
Rei's violet eyes darkened. "I thought I was sensing something strange around here. Yuuichiro brought me a glass of water this morning and I didn't drink it because I felt an evil presence." She turned to look over her shoulder. "Shinzui-san is here. I think she wants to talk to you." There was a sudden shaking of the image on the screen and Usagi was treated to a panoramic view of the Hikawa Shrine's meditation room as Rei handed the communicator to their tall blind friend. A moment later the older girl's pretty, sightless face appeared on the viewscreen.   
"Small LadyPrincess. You're sick." It was more of a statement than a question, and Usagi, now peering over Chibiusa's shoulder, could see little lines of worry creasing the smooth forehead.   
"I'm okay, Shinzui-san. We're at the hospital. But Ami-chan needs helpshe's gone to investigate this by herself. I'm afraid if Lady Slipper is there she might get hurt," Usagi responded.   
Shinzui nodded, her expression grave. "Rei-chan will go to help hold her off. I'm coming to the hospital to help you and the others. The Orion Music Sphere can purify the toxins from your system. There's no doubt in my mind that Lady Slipper is the one responsible for this, and we two must work together to destroy her _jaki_. Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury can at least hold it off long enough for us to get there."   
Usagi nodded. "Okay."   
Suddenly the screen split down the center as Michiru appeared on the other side, responding to Usagi's call. "Usagi-chan. Haruka's very sickwhat's going on?"    
Usagi nodded. "Tokyo's water has been poisoned," she explained. "Michiru-san, don't drink anything unless it's been bottled, okay?" The teal haired woman nodded.    
Shinzui looked concerned. "Michiru, bring Haruka to the Tenth Street Community Hospital. I'm on my way there now to purify the patients thereand then we need to get to the water treatment center and help Sailor Mercury. She's gone to stop Lady Slipper from causing any more damage." Her voice softened. "You might not want to tell Haruka I'm going to be at the hospital," she said quietly.   
Michiru's eyes deepened. "I understand, Shinzui-san," she responded quietly. "Don't worryI'll get her there if I have to sling her over my shoulder and carry her every step of the way." She offered a mischievous smile, and Shinzui smiled back, knowing that the stubborn violinist would probably make good her threat if necessary.   
"All right, everyone let's do this," Rei declared firmly.   
The communicator hummed as the displays snapped out of sight, and Usagi flipped it shut, sinking back into the chair. "I sure hope Shinzui-san hurries," she sighed, wincing as another burst of pain exploded behind her eyes.

********** 

Sailor Mercury walked through the silent halls of the treatment center, and with every step her trepidation grew. She'd found the front receptionist lying unconscious on the floor, with a very faint pulse and shallow breathingand the further she traveled through the center the more workers she found in precisely the same condition. The scans from her VR visor assured her that it had been the work of a sophisticated poison, and from what she could tell it was a highly specialized one at that, designed to induce a state that was as close to death as one could possibly be without actually ceasing brain waves. Lady Slipper was behind all of this. She was certain of it now. Mercury knew that she could never hope to defeat the Negaverse woman on her own, but she was not about to retreat. Her blood boiled as she considered how casually Lady Slipper played with the body chemistry of human beings. And to use the basic life giving element of water itself to cause such pain and destruction was close to sacrilege. As far as Mercury was concerned, Lady Slipper was going to answer for it.   
She paused as her mini-computer beeped softly. The scans of the building were now complete, and a map of the floor plan popped up on the screen. There at the very center of the building was a large circular room that the computer said was the main water reservoir. There was a small red dot blinking along the north side of the rooma heavy concentration of evil energy. It was Lady Slipper. Pursing her lips, Mercury turned left and strode down the corridor, following the map on the screen to the reservoir's entry doors. After taking two other turns down different hallways, she made her way to the heart of the treatment center and located the doors. There was a simple plaque posted by the doorframe which read "Reservoirs" in flowing Hiragana. Mercury nodded to herself, clicking her computer off and pressing her earring to cause her VR visor to retract. Without hesitation she pushed the heavy metal doors open and stepped out onto the iron catwalk.   
The room was actually more like a very deep well. About ten feet below her she could see the glinting surface of the water, reflecting the bright white glare of the electric lights strung across the domed ceiling at intervals. The catwalk on which she was standing circled all the way around the reservoir; it was about three feet wide with a four foot guard rail. In the very center of the reservoir a wide column rose up out of the water, and at the top of the column was a control booth, connected to the catwalk by suspended iron walkways. Here and there a ladder plunged from the catwalk down into the water below, used for maintenance. She could see pipes jutting out from the wall below her, where the newly purified water was being poured into and pumped out of the reservoir. But what disturbed Mercury the most was the pale green, glowing tinge to the water beneath her feet. That wasn't supposed to be there.   
"Welcome, Sailor Mercury. I've been waiting for you."   
The blue haired senshi's head snapped up as Lady Slipper came gliding towards her over the catwalk. "Lady Slipper. You're responsible for poisoning our water, aren't you?"   
A rose colored eyebrow lifted. "Of course. I wanted to do something a little more impressive you know. I have this one very special blend of toxins that causes fascinating skin color changes, some fabulous convulsions and fevers, excessive hair loss and all sorts of other maladies before finally inducing death." She frowned petulantly. "But the Avatar didn't want me to kill anyone. He said this would be enough to get your attention and he wants as many of the humans as possible to be left alive to serve him after we conquer your little planet." She sighed. "Well, you're here, so I suppose he was right. Still, it would have been fun to come up with something a touch more creative."   
Mercury glared at her. "This isn't a game, Lady Slipper. You can't just play with people's bodies like that."   
"Of course I can," the evil woman responded sweetly. "I can do anything I want to. You just don't understand that yet." She tilted her head to the side. "Now, I have a job to do. I need to take a look at your blood, Miss Mercury, and we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."   
Sailor Mercury balled a fist. "I'm not going to make it easy for you, if that's what you mean."   
Lady Slipper was delighted. "I was hoping you'd say that." She waved her hand, and a wave of black energy shot towards Mercury, who flattened herself onto the metal floor of the catwalk to avoid it. The attack went over her head and instead struck one of the fastenings holding the catwalk to the wall; a shower of sparks fell down over the blue senshi and into the water below. "By the way, I forgot to mention something. The poison that I've put into the water is diluted enough by the time it reaches your homes that it only causes sicknessbut down there," she pointed to the shimmering sea green liquid below, "it's at a much higher concentration. If you fall, I'm afraid your skin will be dissolved in approximately twenty seven seconds. Just thought you might like to know." She batted her eyes with saccharine sweetness that made Mercury want to retch.   
Carefully Mercury rose to her feet. "But then you'd never know if I carry the Dagger, now would you?" she pointed out calmly, bringing her hands over her head. "Shine Aqua Illusion!"   
Lady Slipper, remembering that the last time she'd faced this attack she had been doused with cold water, suddenly disappeared. Mercury stared in surprise at the spot where the Negaverse woman had been standing only moments ago as her attack was harmlessly absorbed into the wall. A moment later her head was jerked back, and she realized too late that Lady Slipper had rematerialized behind her, and seized her hair and arms. She struggled, but quickly found herself immobilized by the taller, stronger woman. "Now, Miss Mercury," Lady Slipper hissed in her ear. "Let's see what runs through your veins, hmm?" Mercury could feel the cold blade of the little knife being drawn lightly across the base of her neck, not hard enough to break the skin. "Perhaps I should just slit your throat while I'm at it," Lady Slipper purred. "Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak." Sailor Mercury didn't dare to breathe. Any motion on her part would result in death, and so she remained perfectly still.   
"Let her go, you prissy sissy!" Sailor Mars suddenly exploded through the doors behind them, elbowing Lady Slipper so that she was forced to release Mercury. The knife flew out of her hand and fell with a splash into the water below them. Lady Slipper turned to face this newcomer in surprise, and Sailor Mars slapped her across the face, eyes blazing. "No one touches my friends," she growled.    
Lady Slipper straightened, her hand coming up to cover her stinging cheek and her sea-green eyes widening in surprise. "Well, Sailor Mars. That was quite an entrance," she sneered. "But I'm in the middle of something at the moment and I'm afraid I can't allow you to interrupt." With a movement so fast that Mars didn't even see it, Lady Slipper had grabbed the front of her fuku and flung her over the side of the guard rail.   
"Mars!" Mercury screamed, then gave a little shriek of relief as the senshi of fire caught the edge of the catwalk with one hand, barely managing to avoid tumbling into the venomous water below. "Mars, don't let go! The water's acidic."   
Sailor Mars grunted and twisted her head around at an awkward angle. "Thanks for the warning." She swung her other arm upwards to get a better grip.    
Lady Slipper turned towards Mercury with a grin. "Well, now," she giggled. "This is very interesting. You realize, of course, that I can destroy your little senshi friend down there with a snap of my fingers." She tipped her head to the side. "So, are you going to be a good little girl and come over here where I can test you? Or is it bye-bye for little Miss Mars?" She held up her fingers as if to snap them.    
Sailor Mercury looked at her friend dangling from the catwalk, and then met Lady Slipper's gloating eyes. She took a step forward and extended her palm. "Here," she answered quietly. "Do it."   
Lady Slipper rolled her eyes. "You senshi are so predictable," she commented wryly. "Well, thanks to your friend here, I no longer have my knife. We'll have to do this in a slightly lesscivilized way." And with that, she seized Mercury's hand. Before Mercury had the chance to react, Lady Slipper had sunk her teeth into her wrist, piercing the skin with a sudden and explosive pain. Sailor Mercury cried out in shock and hurt, but when Lady Slipper pulled away there were two small puncture holes in her wrist that were quickly filling with blood. Lady Slipper nodded in satisfaction, licking the specks of blood from her lips while taking the opal hanging at her waist and waving it over the wound. There was no response, and she sighed. "Ah well. Another dud." She turned to gaze at Sailor Mars, who was still clinging to the slippery edge of the catwalk for dear life. "You know, I haven't tested you yet, Sailor Mars. I suppose I can't let you just dissolve away, now can I?" She snapped her fingers, but instead of knocking Mars from the catwalk, the crackling negative energy enclosed the senshi's body and lifted her up onto the iron grating, though not without quite a bit of pain. Lady Slipper nodded in satisfaction. "You'll be next," she decided, eyeing the red senshi's prostrate form. "Such spirit and courage could very well be an indication of the Dagger's presence." She turned back to face Mercury. "And I don't need you anymore." She waved her hand, and this time it was Sailor Mercury who was flung over the side of the guard rail.   
"No!" Sailor Mars cried, watching helplessly as the blue senshi catapulted over the edge towards the toxic reservoir.   
"Venus Lovely Chain!" a voice cried out, and in an instant the long stream of golden hearts had wrapped itself around Mercury's waist, rescuing her from the dangerous water.   
"Sailor Venus," Mars breathed in relief.   
Lady Slipper sneered as Sailors Venus, Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune and Uranus all appeared at the door, with Sailor Moon and Sailor Orion right behind. "Welcome, senshi. What took you so long?" She ignored Venus as the golden senshi began to pull Mercury back up to the catwalk.   
Neptune's eyes narrowed. "We had to make a detour to the hospital."   
Lady Slipper nodded. "Of course." She stepped towards them, her eyes meeting Orion's, then moving to Uranus' face. "Well, Sailor Uranus. How are you getting along with my ex-husband?" She reached out as if to caress the soldier's cheek, but Orion's arm shot out and caught her hand.   
"Don't," she hissed dangerously, "touch her."   
Lady Slipper met Orion's eyes again with a smug look, and Uranus frowned as she turned to look at the Sacrificial Soldier. There was something passing between her and the Negaverse woman that Uranus didn't understand, and she had the uneasy feeling that it involved her somehow. Lady Slipper clucked her tongue. "Gets on your nerves, doesn't she?" she commented to Sailor Uranus, who bristled. Lady Slipper giggled. "I know. Try living with it for millennia." She sighed dramatically, ignoring Orion's deadly glare. "Well, I wish I had a _jaki _for you ladies to play with todaybut I seem to have dropped my knife. So sorry to disappoint. I know you were all looking forward to it."   
Uranus snorted. "What I'm looking forward to is the look on your face when it meets my fist."   
Lady Slipper's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, girl. You have no idea who you're dealing with. I ought to teach you to have a little respect for your superiors." She then winced as Orion's grip on her wrist tightened.   
"If you lay a finger on her I'll personally sever it from your hand, Lady Slipper. Do I make myself clear?" Lady Slipper met the icy silver eyes and a shiver went through her. Orion was not teasing. She mustered a smile.   
"Of course, Orion. Anything you say. Would you mind releasing me now?" Sailor Orion slowly and purposefully let go. Lady Slipper's first impulse was to rub the throbbing limb, but she didn't want to give Orion the satisfaction. "I suppose my mission is accomplished for today. Have a lovely afternoon, girls." She took a step backwards and vanished into thin air.   
Uranus spun around and glared at Orion. "Why did you do that?" she demanded furiously. "We had her right there I could have ended all of this."   
Orion shook her head slowly. "Uranus, you don't understand. Lady Slipper is too powerful to be defeated by your attacks. It wouldn't be worth it."   
Every muscle in Sailor Uranus' body clenched. "At least I wouldn't have just stood there like a coward and let her get away," she growled. Sailor Moon stared at Uranus in confusionthe senshi of earth looked like she was about to explode, she was so tense.   
"Uranus, it's all right," Sailor Moon interrupted, laying a hand on her forearm. "I'm sure that Sailor Orion is just trying to--"   
"Get us all killed!!" Uranus raged, jerking her arm away and nearly hitting Usagi's face in the process. "You know what I think? I think you're probably still in love with that Negaverse witch, Orion. For all we know you're working with your _ex-wife_!" She spat out the last words with contempt and Neptune watched her partner with worry written all over her pretty face. She'd never seen Uranus this out of control before, and the other senshi had never seen Orion look so sad. The pain in the silver eyes was enough to give even Uranus a moment of pause.   
"I promise you," the colossal soldier said quietly. "it is not Lady Slipper that I love." She could feel the surging power of the spite in the other girl, and also the near-desperation with which she was struggling to hold it back. "Uranus, I just want you to know that's it's all right if you hate me." Two shimmering tears, one after the other, trailed down her face. "I deserve it, whether you know it or not. Please don't be sorry." She turned to look at Sailor Mercury. "Are you all right, Mercury?" The small blue haired senshi nodded, struck dumb by the barely contained agony in the tinkling voice. Orion closed her eyes for a moment, causing more tears to fall, and opened them to look at Mars. "You're the next target, Sailor Mars," she stated softly. "Be careful." Finally she turned to Sailor Moon. "Princess." Her voice was on the breaking point now. "Do you think you can take care of the rest of this on your own?" She indicated the glowing green water below them.    
Sailor Moon nodded, but she wasn't paying much attention to the question. "Shinzui-san, are you okay?" she asked with puzzlement and worry. She flashed a frown at Uranus, and Shinzui shook her head.   
"No, Princess, don't blame her. It's my faultit always has been." She stepped backwards toward the door. "It's best if I leave now. I'll finish up my work at the hospital, all right?" She forced herself to look at Uranus again, but did not trust her voice any longer. Mars looked from one to the other and her eyebrows lowered. That dark cloud that she'd been sensing around Shinzui now seemed to have its source in the tomboyish soldier. It was as if there were long, heavy chains wrapped around Sailor Orion's heart, and Uranus was holding the other end. Sailor Mars didn't understand it but she knew that their very tall friend was suffering. After a moment Orion gave one last, resigned little nod, then lifted her arm, pressed the stone on her bracelet, and disappeared.   
The instant that she was gone from their presence Uranus felt her rage subsiding. She gazed down in a sort of numb shock at the stricken looks on the younger girls' faces, and the worry and hurt on her beloved partner's face, and it was almost too much. With a heavy sigh, her body finally relaxed and she shook her head. Now that Orion was gone and the fury was gone all she had left was a deep sense of guilt. What on earth had possessed her to say such things to the older senshi? _Why the hell can't I control this?_ She met Neptune's eyes with a sort of desperation. "I I'm sorry I don't know what" She stammered a bit but could not for the life of her come up with an explanation for her behavior. Finally she just spun on her heel and walked away.   
The other senshi let out a collective breath and looked at one another. It was plain as day that something important was going on here, and something had to be done about it. Right now, however, they had a more pressing matter to attend to. They all looked over the railing of the catwalk to the poisoned water supply beneath them, and finally Sailor Venus voiced what everyone else was thinking.    
"I get the feeling this is going to be a very long day."


	26. The glow of burning shrines! Secret in t...

Part Twenty-Six: The glow of burning shrines! Secret in the flames

She turned towards the source of the terrorized screaming and caught a glimpse of the little face before it was swallowed up behind the wall of fire. A sheen of sweat coated her face and neck and she tried to call out, to reach for him and draw him back; but the little boy was gone, taken by the ruby flames as bright as the fiery curls on his forehead. She heard a new voice crying out in anguish, and realized that it was the man, the one whose son had just been snatched from his arms by the greedy flames. He was staring in horror as the fire bore down on him, and in an instant was engulfed. The raging flames spread, faster than she could blink, until everything everywhere was burning, burning, burning.   
She couldn't stop it. She couldn't even call out a warningbut even if she could it wouldn't have mattered. The fire moved too fast, was too hungry. In a matter of seconds it consumed everything, the land, the air, the trees, the water, the entire planet was a ball of crackling flames and she was its center. The heat was blistering and she could hear screams of agony from a billion throats as the world was consumed. The sound was so tortured that it hurt to hear them, and she wanted to cover her ears and block it out but found that, like her feet, her arms would not move. Tears streaked her blackened cheeks, stinging in the rough smoke. She couldn't see them and couldn't help them. She couldn't even move. All she could do was listen to themlisten to the sound of a billion lives being wiped out in a matter of seconds.   
Looking up, she saw the black, heartless eyes hovering in space, so full of glee and hate and cruelty. And she heard one voice-his voice-above all the others' cries of pain. He was laughing. They were all dying below him, being tortured to death as their flesh cracked and peeled away in the inferno, and he was laughing with a triumph that made her sick. She felt horribly nauseated, and the bile rose in her throat to make her retch. She wanted to scream at him, to fly up into those eyes and scratch them out with her bare fingernails, to make him feel the suffering he was inflicting, but she couldn't even get her cracked and blistered lips to form the words that were blazing like a brand through her mind. I hate you. I hate you I hate you I hate you. And then the reds and oranges and yellows took her too, and for a moment all she could hear was her own blood shrieking through her veins as if a devil were chasing it. The roar was unbearable.   
Nothing.   
Suddenly, she found herself standing (or was she sitting? Or floating? Or lying? It was hard to tell) in the middle of nothing. No light, no flames, no land, no screams, nothing but the glittering black eyes, still watching. And breaking the absolute silence came the lone sound of a woman crying. It was the most heartbreaking thing she'd ever heard in her life, and the grief in the sobs was enough to wrench her already dying soul almost to pieces. It was the sound of a survivor. The only survivor out of billions. She felt like crying right along with her. But as the sound emanated from the nothingness around her, she realized that the hard black eyes were not hard anymore. As a matter of fact, they looked rather-broken. She realized with shock and bitterness that the evil eyes were filled with tears, and as she glared at them in fury and frustration, they slowly and sadly faded away.   
The sound of crying stopped then, and a moment later, the blankness around her parted, and she felt earth at her feet. Ahead of her there was a man, standing with his back to her at the edge of a naked, stark cliff overlooking the scorched and smoldering remnants of what had been a living planet only minutes before. She could see a sword in his hand, stained with blood. At his feet and all around him on the ground was piled a mass of what looked like long golden hair. She could even make out the bright blue ribbons that had once been woven through it. The man suddenly turned towards her, and she gasped as the steely gray eyes, hopeless and passionless, met her own. She knew that face.

********** 

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan, are you all right?"   
The raven haired priestess reeled away from Shinzui's touch with a gasp. "Uranus!" she breathed, her face shimmering with perspiration. After a second her eyes began to focus, and she recognized the blind girl hovering over her with concern. "What happened?" she inquired quietly, breathing hard.   
"You were doing a fire reading, went into a trance and then started going into convulsions," Shinzui responded with concern in her tinkling voice. "Rei-chan, what was it? What did you see?"   
Rei shook her head. Now that the vision had ended, it was quickly fading from memory, and she struggled to recall the details of what the fires had shown her. "I there was a child. A boy, I think. And a man. Andfire everywhere, all over everything. People were dying." Rei was concentrating and did not see the shadow pass over the blind girl's face.   
"What else?" she asked softly.   
The priestess' nose scrunched as she tried to remember. "Evil. There was something so evil there, someone who was causing all that horrible death and pain. It was familiar. Somethingoh my god." Suddenly the eyes reentered her mind, black and wicked and sadistic. And Rei's hands began to shake as she remembered where she'd seen them before. She stared at the blind girl in horror. "Shinzui-san, what have you done?"   
Shinzui, for a moment, was startled; and then her expression melted into one of inexpressible sorrow and she shook her head slowly. "You don't want to know, Rei-chan. You really, truly do not want to know." She stood up, shouldering her knapsack, and Centauri came to her side without her beckoning.   
"Shinzui-san," he said quietly, but the look on her face warned him not to go any farther.   
Rei continued to stare up at her, and the violet eyes filled with tears that she did not understand. "I think you're right," she answered numbly. She watched, still in shock, as the tall girl and her guide dog left the temple shrine. The memories of the vision were passing fast now, and she could scarcely remember any of the images save one; the sheer radiating evil of those black, black eyes. "The Prince of Darkness," she whispered, scarcely audible even to herself. "Sailor Orion."   
Her musings were interrupted, however, when Yuuichiro burst into the meditation room. "Rei-chan," he yelled. "Rei-chan, you gotta come quick. Something awful's happening."   
Rei was on her feet in a flash, the vision forgotten. "Grandpa?" she gasped.   
He shook his shaggy head. "Nah, he's fine. But he needs to talk to you right away!" Rei nodded, and Yuuichiro held out a hand. "Come on."

********** 

"Guardian Brother. You're up very late." Oberon pulled up a chair to sit next to him. Demetrius had his nose buried in the Book of Balance, with stacks of other papers and open books scattered all around him. Oberon peered over his shoulder to read a few of the notes Demetrius had been making, and sighed. "Working on the Sacrifice again, are we?"   
Demetrius looked up, a slight frown creasing his brow. "As we all should be. I promised her, Guardian Friend. I promised. And it's been too long. Too many lives and too many deaths. It's time I kept that promise."   
Oberon sighed. "I know. I want to put an end to this as much as you do. But I'm beginning to think that maybe we aren't supposed to find another way. Perhaps this is just the way that fate has ordained the Balance to be held. Perhaps the Sacrifice is simply meant to be."   
"I won't accept that." Even in the recesses of his heavy golden cloak Oberon could see the sapphire eyes flashing stubbornly. "Fate is blind, Guardian Friend. But she is not cruel. We are the Guardians of the Balance. It is our job to ensure that the balance between positive and negative is maintained. We failed to preserve the Blendthe Balance is all we have left. And I am not going to allow us to fail at this." He shook his head. "The Child has suffered enough. Even if I have to get up there and take on the full Negaforce myself, I'm going to find a way to put an end to this once and for all."   
Guardian Friend nodded slowly. "I understand your pain, Guardian Brother. I do."   
"No." Demetrius' head lowered. "You don't. Because you've never loved someone the way that I love her. And you've never had to stand by and feel her spirit in pain, day after day after day. And you've never had to hear the way her heart cries every time she is reminded of her past mistakes. And you've never had to bury a dagger in her chest and feel her life slipping away." His voice broke. "You don't understand, Oberon. You can't. All the intellectual wisdom in the world could never really comprehend it."   
"You're right." The thunderous voice reverberated through the library, and the two Guardians looked up to see Neophilus coming toward them. He gazed down with compassion at Demetrius, his ruby eyes soft. "We can't really comprehend your suffering, or hers, Guardian Brother. All we can do is keep trying, and never give up. For your sake and for hers."   
"And for the Balance," Demetrius pointed out, and Guardian Father gave a wry smile.   
"And for the Balance." Neophilus sat down on Demetrius' other side, and gazed down for a moment at the pages of the Book. "All this time," he mused quietly. "So much has happened since the Great Division. Things that we could never have predicted. Who knew that the destruction of the Blend would cause so much chaos?" He shook his head. "We are the oldest beings in existence, and yet still the forces of good and evil never cease to surprise me. If we, the most ancient and powerful, do not have the answers for everything, then who does?" He smiled fondly at Demetrius. "Who would have imagined that a Guardian would fall in love with a human soul? Who would have imagined that a creature of darkness could become one of light? And who would have imagined that it would become necessary to sacrifice an innocent spirit for the sake of preserving innocence itself?" Guardian Father sighed.   
Demetrius nodded. "Exactly. Who would have imagined?" He traced an image on the page with a fingertip. "But we've been through more than a thousand cycles of the Sacrificemore than a million years of study. Always it has been the same, until now." He stared down with frustration at the Book before him. "The answer IS here. I can almost hear it calling to me. It's something so simple, so basic, I'm sure of it, and yet I can't seem to find it." He turned to meet Oberon's amethyst eyes. "I've never been this close before."   
Guardian Friend nodded. "Then we must both help you to look for it, Guardian Brother," he replied in his usual whispered tones, and Neophilus nodded in agreement. "Lookthe picture moves." The three gazed down at the picture on the open page, as it began to shift. Scenes of darkness and fire flashed over the paper, and presiding over it all was the black, cruel eyes of the Prince of Darkness. When the picture had stopped moving, it remained frozen on the final image; a tall, solitary soldier standing on a barren cliff, staring out at them with emotionless gray eyes.   
"Uranus," Guardian Brother breathed, unable to take his eyes away from the piercing, desolate gaze.   
"These are visions of the past," Guardian Father observed, also transfixed on the picture. "But what could they mean? We all know what happened. We were there."   
Oberon shook his head, and put his finger on the picture. "Somehow she's the key," he said quietly. "The key to all of thisthe Sacrifice, the answer, everything."   
"But she changed," Demetrius pointed out. "Before, she would have been able to help us. Now" His gaze swept over the mass of golden hair that was lying at the soldier's feet in the image. "Now she's not the same person. I don't know that she ever will be."   
Guardian Father nodded. "That's true," he agreed. "But if we're ever to find the answer, we must find a way to get through to her without reopening old wounds and making things worse." He met Demetrius' eyes. "We must make certain that she never remembers what happened there. Until she is able to forget she will not be able to forgive. And if Oberon is right, if she is the key to all of this, the Sacrifice will continue to go on, just like the Eternal Curse, until forgiveness occurs."   
Demetrius sighed, and rose to his feet. "I must return to the hospital," he announced quietly. "Guardian Friend, would you stay and continue this work until I can come back? We're so close, but the vernal equinox marches nearer with each passing day. We cannot afford to waste a moment."   
The amethyst-eyed Guardian gave a nod, and Demetrius turned to leave the library. It was out there, somewherethe solution to all of this. And this time was going to be different. This time he was going to find out what it was.

********** 

"I don't like this, Centauri. I don't like it one bit." Shinzui slammed her teacup down on the counter so hard that the golden retriever jumped. "This isn't supposed to happen. They aren't supposed to remember! None of them have ever remembered, except" she trailed off in frustration. "Something's not right. Why would the fire realm be showing the terrors of the past now, after all this time? What's happening?"   
"Shinzui, calm down," the dog suggested soothingly. "You're not going to find any answers by worrying like this."   
The blind girl scowled at him darkly. "Don't tell me to calm down, Centauri. This is bad. This is very bad. I don't want any of them to live through that again. Once was more than enoughthey're not going to go through it again, I won't allow it. The only one who has to remember and live with it is me." Her frown deepened. "And rightly so. I created this mess. But I already broke their hearts once, and I swore it would never happen again. They can't remember, Centauri, they can't be allowed to remember."   
"It may be that none of us has any choice in the matter."   
The blind girl's head snapped up at the familiar voice. "Demetrius!"   
The sapphire-eyed Guardian stepped forward. Shinzui didn't bother to ask how he'd managed to get through her locked apartment door; she already knew that doors and walls didn't mean much to a Guardian of the Balance. He was still dressed in his hospital scrubs, she could smell the scent of disinfectant and sterilizing hand soap from where she was sitting. "I felt your distress from almost ten miles away, Child. I thought something terrible had happened."   
"It has," she replied gloomily, her vacant eyes dark. Now that he was here, she could feel the power of his aura, his soul strength, filling the room, and draining her of some of her frustration. He'd never been able to take negative emotions from her before, and she found herself vaguely wondering if her release of emotion the day before had somehow opened her to him in ways that she hadn't expected. "Mars-I mean, Rei, received a vision in the fires today while I was meditating with her. A vision of the pastmy past."   
Demetrius was silent for a moment. "Child, I do not pretend to understand what is happening here. There is a movement in this cycle of the Sacrifice that we've never seen before, and so many strange things have occurred this time around that cannot be explained. It seems like destiny. Perhaps you cannot fight it or stop it-perhaps you're not supposed to."   
Shinzui ran a fingertip around the rim of the teacup. "Perhaps not, Guardian Brother. But that doesn't mean that I won't try. They don't deserve those memories."   
The white-haired man sighed. "And neither do you," he said quietly, feeling the underlying guilt and shame that she insisted on bearing for her mistakes. "I know you disagree with me, Child. I know you still think you deserve to relive your past as punishment. But no matter what you think, you don't deserve it. I'm certain of ityou've suffered enough already."   
A sarcastic, wistful grin curved her lips. "We've had this discussion too many times before, Guardian Brother, and I just don't have the spirit for it today. So I won't argue with you right now." A wicked twinkle sparked the empty dove colored eyes. "Even though I'm right."   
This brought a chuckle to both of them. Shinzui's smile faded after a moment, however. "I was staying close to Mars because she is Lady Slipper's next target," she commented gravely. "But I think perhaps my presence in the shrine disturbed the Realm of Fire. Not without reason, since it was primarily fire that Ithat the Prince of Darkness used to commit his murders."   
Demetrius nodded slowly. "You may be right," he acknowledged, though he sounded a little dubious. "Perhaps you should ask one of the others to watch over Mars for youyou can't do everything yourself, you know." His jeweled eyes traveled down the adjacent hallway as they both heard the click of a doorknob. "You already have enough responsibility here," he added softly as Sachiko, Shinzui's sister, emerged from her bedroom-turned-art-studio dressed in a smeared and spattered canvas apron.   
Sachiko stopped short when she caught sight of Demetrius. "Ohhello," she sputtered shyly. "I didn't know Zui-chan had a visitor." She stood there wringing her fingers awkwardly, but the handsome Guardian smiled and stepped forward.   
"Hello, Giseino-san," he greeted her formally. "It's very nice to see you again. Shinzui tells me that you are doing much better."   
Sachiko nodded and blushed. "Yes, thank you, Doctor. I promised." She turned a loving gaze on her blind sister. "Zui-chan's always so good to me."   
The young blind woman returned the smile and rose from her seat at the counter to give Sachiko's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "I have a wonderful big sister to be good to," she retorted sweetly, and gave a light giggle as she touched her sister's cheek and felt a long streak of hardened clay there. "What are you working on now, Chiko-chan? More pottery?"   
Sachiko's eyes lit up, but she shook her head. "No. The Paris Observatory of Art commissioned a piece for one of their upcoming displays. Something about contemporary artists imitating classical styles with modern mediums-I'm working on a sculpture from the Renaissance era, Michelangelo-style with modern clay materials instead of carved marble." Shinzui nodded, and Demetrius lifted an eyebrow.   
"That sounds fascinating. I know a little something about Michelangelo myself." Shinzui had to stifle a chuckle. That was an understatement if she'd ever heard one. Guardian Brother had been, at the time, one of Michelangelo's closest personal friends. If she remembered correctly, it had been Guardian Brother who formed the first 'fan club' for a celebrity, he was such an admirer of the man's talent. Demetrius kept a perfectly straight face however. "I'd love to see the piece when you're finished."   
Sachiko blushed again, but nodded. "All right, Doctor." She looked back over at Shinzui. "But I ran out of molding clay, and I can't finish without at least another two buckets. I was hoping maybe"  
Shinzui patted her sister's arm. "I was just on my way out anyway," she smiled. "I'll pick some up for you at the art supply store."   
Her sister squeezed her hand gratefully, and Shinzui understood. She knew how much Sachiko hated going downtown for supplies. Sachiko was highly talented and when she had to be was quite charming and social, but Shinzui knew that her high-strung sister was actually extremely reclusive and shy. The pale-haired artist nodded respectfully towards Demetrius, and then retreated back into her studio. Shinzui took hold of Centauri's harness and sighed. "Come, friends," stated quietly. "There are things which must be done." Demetrius held the door, and the three of them left the apartment together. 

********** 

"What do you mean, burned?" Rei exclaimed to her grandfather. "Why would anyone want to set fire to a shrine?"   
Grandpa Hino shuffled from one foot to the other. "I don't know, Rei-chan. But four Shinto temples were burned to the ground this morning. A group of priests came to warn me only a few minutes ago."   
"Don't worry, Rei," Yuuichiro declared firmly, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I won't let anything happen to you or your grandfather. I can protect the shrine."   
Rei snorted and shrugged his hand away. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much," she responded sarcastically. Turning back to her grandfather, she asked, "Did the priests say who was doing this?"   
The little man made a face, and beckoned to her to lean down where he could whisper in her ear. Rei obliged. "They say it's a demon," her grandfather informed her conspiratorially. "One of the priests told me he saw an enormous black spirit lurking around their altars. He tried to use an ofuda and the next thing he knew the shrine was burning down around his ears." Grandpa's eyes darted from side to side as he spoke, as if expecting at any moment to confront some dark creature sneaking up on him.   
Rei took a deep breath. It was a _ jaki_, she was certain of itand if the _jaki_ was attacking shrines and temples then it meant that Lady Slipper was looking for her. The priestess' violet eyes narrowed. She needed to contact Usagi and the others right away. Forcing a smile, she kissed the top of Grandpa Hino's shiny, bald head. "It'll be all right, Grandpa," she assured him brightly. "If you see any more evil monsters creeping around, yell, okay? Right now I have chores to do."   
Yuuichiro was watching her with confusion in his face. "But, Rei-chan, what if there really is some sort of demon loose in Tokyo? Don't you think we should be on our guard?"   
Rei rolled her eyes and patted his cheek lightly. "You worry too much, Yuuichiro." With that she headed back inside the shrine. The minute she reached her bedroom, however, she shut the door and yanked out her communicator. "Guys, this is Rei. Is anybody there?"   
An instant later Minako's cheery face filled the screen. "Hi, Rei-chan. What's going on?" Before Rei could respond the screen crackled and split as Usagi, Ami and Makoto also responded to her call.   
Rei let out a breath. "Lady Slipper's got a_ jaki _burning down the shrines around Tokyo. I think she's looking for me."   
Concern filled her friends' faces and they all nodded. "We're on our way, Rei-chan," Makoto declared firmly. "Just sit tight."   
"I'll try and contact Shinzui," Ami offered. "Sailor Moon will need to have her help to stop the_ jaki_."   
Rei's eyes clouded at the mention of their older friend, as the image of the black eyes flashed into her memory again. "Is something wrong, Rei-chan?" Usagi inquired curiously, noting the change in the raven-haired beauty's expression. Rei bit her lip. Should she tell the others about her vision from that morning? It felt dishonest to keep such disturbing and potentially important images to herself, and yet to tell them would be like betraying Shinzui, somehow. She wasn't sure what she should do, and she shook her head.   
"I'm fine, Usagi-chan. Just a little tired. I've been doing too much fire reading lately, I think."   
Usagi clucked her tongue sympathetically. "Well, don't you worry, Rei-chan. We'll be right over. I'll call Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna too. They might want to know about this."   
Rei smiled wearily, and as she snapped the communicator shut she sighed again. Turning, she threw herself onto the pile of cushions in the corner that generally served as a chair, and drew her knees up to her chest. Every time she closed her eyes she could see them again, those terrible evil eyes that reflected the fires so that they themselves seemed to be burning. Those eyes haunted her even though she could scarcely remember anything more of the vision. The priestess in her wanted to return to the meditation fires, to call up the vision again and see if she could make sense of it. But there was an even deeper part of her that was terrified of that prospect. Whatever it was that she'd seen, it must have been horrendous for it to frighten her so. All she knew was that it had something to do with Sailor Orion as she had been before her Posiverse existence. They all knew what Orion had been. They were all aware that the Prince of Darkness had done awful, inhuman things. And over the last few days Rei had become more and more aware that Shinzui was still carrying the guilt for those past actions with her. It was like a shadow coiled around the blind girl's heart and Rei didn't completely understand it. If the vision of this morning was any indication, Rei was certain she didn't want to understand itsome memories were better left buried. And yet she wanted to know why the fires were showing her these things now. What was she supposed to do with them? What was it the fires wanted to tell her?   
Rei had kept her visions of the coming Silence secret from the others because it had felt like the right thing to do. In this, however, she was not so sure. If the vision was a warning, shouldn't she be sharing it with the others? But what would that mean for Shinzui? It felt like she'd be spreading gossip about a friend who had risked her lifegiven up her lifecountless times for them. She wasn't sure what the vision meant, so how could she make such a decision? Rei rubbed her aching forehead. When she opened her eyes, she was resolved to go and face the fires again, to get to the bottom of all of this. She rose to her feet and left the room, heading for the meditation chamber; but with every step her dread increased. By the time she'd reached the porch her nerve was gone and her knees were trembling.   
_Ridiculous,_ she scolded herself. _I've had bad visions before. Why should this one scare me so much?_ But her stomach felt sick and she could not force her feet to go any farther. She was just too afraid.   
As she stood there helplessly on the outer porch, her dilemma was disrupted by a familiar hissing. Rei's eyes snapped up to see a large and very ugly _jaki _with three flickering, snakelike tongues lumbering towards her from among the cherry trees lining the temple path. She gritted her teeth. "About time," she muttered to herself as she regained control of her legs and ducked back into her room, henshin pen already in hand. She couldn't transform out there in front of the shrine, but the second the door was closed her pen was over her head and she was calling out her transformation.   
"Mars Star Power, Make Up!"   
The red swirling energy began to flow around her, and she closed her eyes to relish the sensation as power infused her body with its intoxicating strength. Transforming was always such a delicious feeling, and when the glow had faded and her _fuku_ was in place, she was anxious to get out there and create a little inferno of her own. Exploding back out onto the porch once more, she caught the _jaki _ as it was beginning to ascend the steps.   
"Hey, stupid. Looking for me?" The creature looked up and snarled as Sailor Mars' dainty red heel connected with its midsection. It grunted and stumbled off the steps, back down onto the grass. Mars grinned and launched herself from the porch railing over the creature's head, and landed beyond it.   
"Burning Mandala!" she bellowed, firing off her series of symbol-circles at the evil spirit before it had time to turn around. But the attack didn't seem to do much of oanything to it. The _jaki _ brushed the fireballs off with scarcely a shrug, and as it moved to face her its mouth opened, releasing a stream of black lightning towards the senshi of fire.   
Sailor Mars jumped into the air to allow the attack to go past, but remembering that the_ jakis'_ energy had the tendency to bounce back, she then ducked and rolled out of the way. Sure enough, the dark power struck the trunk of a cherry tree and deflected. Thanks to Mars' quick thinking, however, it did not hit her but the _jaki _. The oily black creature absorbed the energy back into its body and immediately fired a volley of crackling dark attacks in Sailor Mars' direction so that she was forced to go skipping and somersaulting through the temple courtyard.   
"Ow, ow. Hey, watch it!" Mars complained as various bursts of evil power went ricocheting from the trees and shrine buildings. One particularly large burst bounced off a flowerpot on the porch and managed to catch Sailor Mars in the back.   
"Not again," she groaned as the sharp, pulsing pain shot through her muscles, immobilizing them. This was what, the third or fourth time that she'd had to endure one of the_ jakis' _ attacks, and it seemed like every time the pain was worse than she'd remembered. She felt herself falling to the grass as her legs ceased to obey her, and as she hit the ground, she groaned weakly. "Damn, that hurts."   
The _jaki _ hissed in delight as Mars crumpled in front of it, and the air began to glitter as Lady Slipper materialized by her creature's side. The Negaverse woman smiled unpleasantly and patted the evil spirit's shoulder.   
"Well done, my pet," she congratulated it, her triumphant sea green gaze never leaving Mars. "Now, for the big question." She produced a small, shiny knife. "Oh, where, oh where could our Dagger be?" Her smile widened as she walked over to Mars, and noted the senshi's contracted expression of pain. Lady Slipper thrust out her bottom lip in mock-sympathy. "I know, dear. My little pet has a sting that really smarts. But this is so much easier when you can't run away." She lifted Mars arm and drew the blade of her knife along it. Mars didn't even feel the bite of the knife, because the electrifying effects of the _jaki _'s attack hurt so much. "Do you realize that we've been looking for you all morning?" Lady Slipper asked conversationally as she cut into the girl's arm. "This is our fifth temple visit this morning. I'm glad you finally decided to show up, Miss Mars. I was getting bored with just burning those shrines down. If you hadn't come along when you did, I was seriously considering livening it up a little with some more creative destruction."   
Mars glared at her in spite of the pain. "And you knew I'd be at a shrine?"   
Lady Slipper nodded, watching the narrow red stripe appearing from the smooth skin. As she reached for the fire opal hanging at her waist, she lifted a rose colored eyebrow. "Of course. I know all you Sailor brats and your patterns. You, Miss Mars, have an affinity for spiritual rituals and fire. I naturally thought, what better way to get your attention?" The rosy eyebrows lowered then, as the opal produced no reaction from Mars' blood whatsoever. Lady Slipper sighed. "Well, curse it allyou're not the carrier either." She closed her eyes for an instant and shook her head. "The Avatar's not going to like this."   
She stood up and turned towards the _jaki _. "Finish her," she ordered simply, and turned away to leave. The evil monster nodded and took a step forward. But it didn't get very far.   
"Dead Scream." The chilling, gentle whisper was followed by a swirl of smoke and positive energy that stopped the spirit in its tracks. Though the attack did not have the energy to really hurt the creature, it still whimpered a little at the sudden unpleasant cold feeling that surrounded it. Sailor Pluto dropped from the branches of a tree overhead to land directly in front of Lady Slipper. "Going somewhere?" Pluto inquired with a lifted eyebrow.   
Lady Slipper smirked. "Sailor Pluto. So nice to see you again. Now I suggest you leave."   
Pluto shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you. You cannot be allowed to continue to harm this world. You must be destroyed."   
The Negaverse woman stared, and then began to laugh. "Come now, Pluto. You don't want to lock horns with me." Her icy green eyes bore into the Revolutionary Soldier's. "Trust me on this one."   
In response, Sailor Pluto merely lifted her staff. Her glowing orb-talisman at the tip began to produce smoke again. "Dead Scream," she whispered calmly.   
From the trees to the left came a new voice. "Deep Submerge!" A wall of turquoise water rushed forward to combine itself with the smoke.   
And then from the right a new power added itself. "World Shaking!" Sailor Uranus' golden planet-shaped power tore through the ground to meld with the other two. The three attacks merged into a single deadly wave of destruction, and blasted through the air and ground towards Lady Slipper.   
She did not move. Lady Slipper merely stood there with a grin on her face. When the attack had moved within a few inches of her, she raised one hand and snapped her fingers, and a sudden wall-like black shield materialized around her body. The senshi's powers struck the shield, and it crackled with dark electrical charge for a second as the powers absorbed negative energy from it. Then the attack deflected, turning and expanding back upon the three outer planet soldiers in the blink of an eye. They didn't even have the chance to dodge.   
Their own energy, now infused with Negaforce, hit them with the strength of a bullet train. Sailor Pluto was lifted off her feet and tossed like a rag doll across the courtyard, where she was thrown up against a fountain and dumped unceremoniously into the crystalline waters underneath it. Both Neptune and Uranus were also thrown into the air, and smashed against the trunks of trees. The stinging pain of the attack left all of them gasping for air, and a trickle of blood ran down from Pluto's nose. Lady Slipper shook her head, and took a few steps toward Sailor Pluto.   
"Silly girl. I told you not to tangle with me." She eyed the senshi of time's bloody nose and tilted her head. "But you do have power, and the courage and wisdom to use it. I wonder." She fingered the opal at her waist.   
_Shing!_ A red rose appeared on the path between Lady Slipper and Pluto. Lady Slipper looked up, and for the first time Pluto realized that the Negaverse woman actually looked a little nervous. Tuxedo Kamen strode purposefully through the trees, a scowl on his handsome masked face.   
"You harm the innocent and destroy the pure. I will not allow it." The caped young man stood before her in defiance, staring her down.   
Lady Slipper batted her eyes. "Well, if it isn't my Posiverse double, here to save the day." She eyed him up and down, and her smile widened. "It would appear that I got the better end of the deal in our division," she snickered. "More power, more personality, and let's face it" she flipped her long rosy braid over her shoulder, "all the good looks."   
"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon shouted, coming up behind them just in time to hear Lady Slipper's last comment. "You've burned down our temples, caused pain to my friends, and insulted my boyfriend! I am a defender of love and justice, a pretty Sailor soldier, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"   
Lady Slipper turned to see Sailor Moon, Sailor Orion and the rest of the senshi coming up behind them. Her _jaki _ snarled at them, but when Orion fastened those silver eyes on it, the creature whimpered again and froze. Orion smiled in satisfaction. Lady Slipper rolled her eyes. "Lovely speech, Sailor Moon. Solet's hear it, Orion. I know you have one too. Aren't you just dying to get it out?"   
Sailor Orion met her eyes with amusement. "All right then." Her bell-like voice then filled the shrine courtyard. "A shrine is a place to strengthen and feed the spirit. When you burn a shrine, you burn all of us. The stars rule everything, from the dawn of time to the end of the age. I am Sailor Orion, and with the melody of Orion I will fight to preserve the music of our souls from being silenced by evil like you!" She raised one pale eyebrow. "How was that?"   
Lady Slipper snorted. "Ooh, I'm trembling."   
Sailor Orion grinned right back. "Perhaps you'd prefer a little musical accompaniment?" The Orion Music Sphere rose from behind her, humming and pulsing with soft peach light. "I could arrange a little concert just for you, if you like." Then she turned a knowing eye on Tuxedo Kamen. "Or perhaps I should allow him to take care of you."   
Lady Slipper licked her lips nervously. "I'mI'm not in the mood for music right now," she answered. "I believe I shall leave you to your workYou're all going to have a lot of cleaning up to do around here anyway. Good day, ladies. Gentlemen." She nodded formally, and then vanished. Her _jaki _ gave yet another whimper as it saw its mistress disappear.   
"What was all that about?" Sailor Moon asked Orion. Orion's grin grew rakish. "Tuxedo Kamen is Lady Slipper's 'better half,' so to speak. He's one of the only senshi that has the power to hurt her. And Lady Slipper may be sadistic and cruel, but courageous she is not. She's actually something of a hypochondriac." Sailor Orion winked at Sailor Moon, and then turned to look at the hapless _jaki _. She shook her head. "Poor thing. Sad how quickly allies become expendable in the Negaverse, isn't it?" The monster eyed her pitifully. "I'm sorry, old boy, but you're evil, through and through. We can't just let you go. I promise, if you hold still this won't hurt a bit." Then, to Sailor Moon: "Are you ready?"   
The tiny blonde nodded, and simultaneously they called out their attacks.   
"Heavenly Symphony!"   
"Moon Healing Escalation!"   
The power from Sailor Moon's Spiral Heart Rod flew into the Music Sphere and was absorbed and amplified, and then burst from the Sphere as an exquisite melody. The evil spirit did not whimper this time; it melted down in a matter of seconds and the pool of black gooey stuff was quickly absorbed into the earth. Sailor Orion nodded in satisfaction; her promise had been kept and the monster had suffered no pain.   
She always felt sorry when she had to destroy an enemy that was not fighting back. There was something dishonorable in it. But she really had no choice. A _jaki _ was a creature made of Negaforce. It would only have continued to cause destruction if she let it go. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at Sailor Moon curiously. She'd been expecting a little resistance to the death of the creature. Sailor Moon was never one to give up on a living being, regardless of what it was made of. But perhapsperhaps the Princess was learning to trust her judgement. That was a disturbing prospect. After all that she had done, everything that she had been, she wasn't even certain that she trusted herself. Orion made a mental note to discuss this with the Guardians.   
The effects of their combined attack were spreading quickly. Sailor Mars, on the grass, was beginning to recover as the cleansing melody expurgated the evil influence from her body. Tuxedo Kamen was helping Sailor Pluto out of the fountain, and Uranus was already up and making her way towards Neptune to check on her. Sailor Orion took a few steps back. Uranus would be busy with Neptune for a few moments. She should leave now.   
Mars was sitting up, with the other Senshi buzzing around her like worried little nursemaids. She caught sight of Orion retreating, and for a moment was tempted to call her back, but decided against it. She still wasn't sure what she was going to say to her. She had so many questions but she didn't know if she really wanted to know the answers. It was all too new, too fresh in her mind. Maybe she'd feel better after she'd slept on it. Mars was the only one who saw Orion press the opal on her bracelet and disappear.

********** 

The Avatar growled from his seat on the dark throne. "What do you mean, not the carrier?"   
Lady Slipper twisted her fingers nervously. "I realize it's another disappointment, Avatar, but it does mean that we're getting closer. There are only three Sailor Planets left to testPluto, Sailor Moon, and Sailor ChibiMoon."   
The Avatar shook his head. "No. I've been thinkingwe might as well not even bother with ChibiMoon. She's not the carrier."   
"She's not?" Lady Slipper was puzzled. "How can you be sure?"   
"ChibiMoon is not from this current time. She is born in the future, after the Sacrifice occurs. So the Dagger couldn't be in her bloodstream." He frowned then. "I just realized something. If ChibiMoon is from the future, it means that in the future Sailor Moon and that prince of hers are still together as rulers. But how can that be? I'm destined to win this round, I'm certain of it." He shook his head, dark eyes flashing. "Perhapsperhaps we're doing something wrong. I wonder." Suddenly his head snapped up. "And Tuxedo Kamen?"   
Lady Slipper scowled. "What about him?"   
"Have you tested him yet? He is, after all, a senshi. He represents the Earth."   
Lady Slipper's eyes widened. "I forgot about that."   
"You forgot. How convenient." The Avatar gave an unamused chuckle. "He's your own counterpart and you just 'forgot' that he's a Sailor Planet too." The cold smile disappeared, and Lady Slipper found herself flying across the room, thanks to a blast from the Avatar's outstretched hand. "Idiot!" he bellowed, rising to his feet and descending the steps of the dais. "Lady Slipper, you disappoint me. And you know how I hate to be disappointed." He lifted his hand again, but stopped at the look of fury in the Negaverse woman's eyes. It was rather disconcerting.   
"You forget yourself, Avatar." Lady Slipper drew herself up from the floor, slowly and purposefully. "You forget who I am."   
The Avatar snorted. "I know exactly who you are. You're the little upstart that conspired to ally yourself with my son and take my throne. I don't know why I've even tolerated you this long."   
"Because Sailor Orion is not just your son, and you know it. In the time before you were born, Orion WAS. He was first. And he is not just your son, he's your father. Reborn. You know the story of the cycle as well as I." She regarded him with a hint of contempt. "And I, Avatar, am not just your son's ex-fiance. I am your mother." She cocked an eyebrow. "Surely you remember me."   
He snarled. "I remember parents who were more interested in my soldier training than in me. They taught me welland when I was old enough, I killed both of them and assumed my rightful place as Avatar." The black eyes were glittering, dangerous. They reminded Lady Slipper of Orion's, and yet somehow they just didn't have the same power. She continued to smirk at him.   
"Yes, you killed us, and we were reborn, just as destiny has always carried the cycle. If it wasn't for that mealy-mouthed little Posiverse princess, you wouldn't be ruling now." She watched him carefully, not wanting to push him too far. He was still technically more powerful than she was, but that didn't mean that she couldn't manipulate that power. Over the millennia she'd become an expert at knowing when to bait him. "You pride yourself on your power, but you're only a shadow of your father. Sailor Orion was the one with all the strength. You? You're a temporary replacement. A cheap substitute. Sailor _Chibi_Ori."   
With that the Avatar let out a bellow of rage, and moved to slap her. She caught his hand and grinned to herself. When he got angry, he became weaker. How unlike his father, whose rage used to feed into his strengthit was really pitiful that the Negaverse was stuck with such a weak and ineffectual leader, while their rightful Avatar was parading around in the Posiverse in the guise of a little girl. Lady Slipper mocked him with her eyes. "You're nothing, do you hear me? Nothing. Without me and the other Sailor Constellations you'd be no one."   
He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. "Is that so? Then why, may I ask, have you put up with me all these thousands of years? Surely it can't be for lack of ambition. You think I don't know that if any of you had the opportunity you'd displace me in an instant? I know that. But I also know something else." He reached down and fingered the dark greenish stone hanging from his neck. Lady Slipper eyed it warily. "I stole the Negaverse Bloodstone from my father when I slit his throat millennia ago. It's mine nowand I'm the only one, in all the Negaverse, who can wield its power. So perhaps I am not as strong as Orion was. It doesn't matter. I'm stronger than YOUthan all of you, and that's the only thing that counts." He grinned evilly. "In the end, Sailor Orion proved to be the weakling. I'm still here. He's not. And that's the way it's going to stay, like it or not." The Avatar turned, black cape swirling, and marched back up to his throne. Settling himself, he nodded slowly at Lady Slipper. "One day, Lady Slipperone day I'm going to get weary of you and your constant harping. And I'll kill you, just as I did then. Without Sailor Orion to come back for, who's to say that you'll ever be reborn?"   
Lady Slipper kept her face expressionless. _You're just lucky that we need the power of the Bloodstone to break the Sacrifice, _she seethed inwardly. _Otherwise I would be the one doing the throat-slitting around here. And without Sailor Orion and I coming together, how would YOU ever be reborn, dear ChibiOri? _ But she prevented these thoughts from reaching her face. Now was not the time. Her day would come and until then, she would just have to be content, and wait. She bowed to him.   
"Forgive me, Avatar. I should treat you with more respect." The Avatar nodded emphatically. "See that you do." Drumming his fingers on the armrest, he cocked his head. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go get me that Silver Dagger, woman. We can't do anything until we have it in our possession."   
With another low bow, she swept from the room. The Avatar watched her go with thoughtful eyes. _I'm not as stupid as she believes. But I'm going to win this one. I'm going to rid myself of Orion foreverand then I'm going to get rid of her. I'll prove to all of existence who the real power in this universe is. I will be the Avatar of everythingor of nothing. No more half-way ruling._ He chuckled to himself. "And I'm going to make my worthless son the first example. No one, not even Orion, is more powerful than I. I have the Bloodstone now. I have the power. I will be supreme." He smiled to himself then, hearing his own voice echo against the empty walls of the throne room.


	27. Disturbed time, stolen friendship. Baiti...

Part Twenty-Seven: Disturbed time, stolen friendship. Baiting a time trap 

Shinzui tilted her head towards Centauri with an almost imperceptible nod, and the golden retriever understood. He lifted his nose and called out her transformation phrase.   
"Orion Constellation Power, Make Up!"   
The soft dancing lights began to whirl. The blind girl was lifted from the ground, bathed in peachy light and surrounded by an energizing melody as her blue jeans and black angora sweater were replaced with her tall boots, black miniskirt, sailor collar and streaming peach ribbons. Her hair flew out of its neatly plaited bun and floated around her face, gathering itself into the two black clips that would hold it out of her face. For an instant the Orion symbol was glowing on her forehead, soon replaced by a shiny peach colored stone and golden tiara. Long white gloves wrapped themselves around her arms, and the opal on her bracelet glowed brightly as it drew the transformation power into itself, gently setting Sailor Orion down on the ground in a lunging, defensive posture. As the lights faded away, she opened her eyes, and they flashed keen and silver.   
Sailor Orion drew herself up and moved to the edge of the building at the corner of the alley. She peered around the corner to look again at the chaos going on in the street. The _jaki_ had apparently become bored with destroying the furniture store, because it had now moved into the adjoining glass-blower's shop and was happily tossing the fragile, shimmering glass pieces out into the street. The black pavement was glittering with the tiny glass shards, and the crashing and shattering racket the creature was making was nearly deafening. Orion looked down at Centauri.   
"Something's wrong," the dog said quietly. "The _jaki_ have been targeting the senshi, but this one is randomly destroying things. There doesn't seem to be a purpose to it."   
Her silver eyes narrowed. "It's a trap." She looked up and down the street, but there was no sign of Lady Slipper. Still, she knew that her former partner was out there, and felt quite certain that they were being watched. "I don't know what Lady Slipper's up to, but we all need to keep our eyes open."   
Centauri's shaggy brows lowered. "Be careful, Sailor Orion. If it's a trap, perhaps you should have a plan before you go out there."   
Orion shook her head. "There's no time, Centauri. Besides, I cannot plan a defense if I do not know what Lady Slipper's intentions are." She grinned mischievously. "But if all else fails, I can always blast my way through whatever she's got planned."   
Centauri gave an amused chuckle. "And you'd probably prefer to do it that way."   
"You know me too well, my friend."   
The retriever laughed again and nodded. "Well, whatever she's up to, I have faith in you, Orion. You can stop her."   
The tall soldier smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Centauri," she said sincerely. Gazing at him, she suddenly realized how very dear he was to her. Centauri had been with her longer and more faithfully than anyone else in existence. He'd served her in the Negaverse, and when she'd left the Negaverse he'd chosen to leave everything—his mate, his family, and everything that he'd known, to follow her into the unknown. Centauri had been there to watch over her for thousands of lifetimes, serving as a friend and guide and helpmate, and often the only soul that she had to talk to, besides the Guardians. He gave her such support and encouragement, and without him, Orion was certain she never would have been able to endure her destiny. She reached down and stroked his ears tenderly. "You're a wonderful friend, you know that?"   
Centauri colored a little, though it was hard to see beneath his silky golden fur. But he did not reply, because a particularly loud crash from the street caused them both to jump. The _jaki_ had knocked over an entire display case of delicate wedding-cake toppers, tossing it through the broken plate glass of the shop's picture window to shatter on the sidewalk. There was a shout, and Sailor Moon came running up, followed by Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus. The girls began making their introduction speeches to distract the monster, and the golden retriever turned back to his mistress. "You'd better go."   
She nodded. "I suppose that's my cue." Pressing the Orion Fire Opal on her bracelet, the stone shone slightly and she experienced a familiar tingling sensation as the opal's power rendered her body invisible. The effect could only be maintained for an hour at the most, but she would only be needing it for a few seconds this morning…just enough to give her the element of surprise.   
Orion maneuvered herself into the street, and took up a position behind the _jaki_ as it was distracted by the attacks of the other five senshi. The creature fired a stream of dark lightning towards Sailor Jupiter, who was countering it with her own opposing power. Jupiter ducked and rolled out of the way, and Sailor Orion chuckled and pressed her opal again to reveal herself.   
"Good morning, Sunshine!" she called out cheerfully to the _jaki_. It turned towards her, and immediately received a mini-sphere in the face. The creature stumbled backwards as the explosion rocked the ground, and it hissed in pain and fury. Though the mini-sphere could not physically destroy the evil spirit, it could still make a definite impression; and it bought the senshi some time so that Sailor Moon could make her way over to where Orion was standing. The other Sailor Soldiers kept the _jaki_ busy with their attacks, released one after the other in quick succession so that the confused monster could not retaliate.   
Sailor Moon reached Orion's side, and smiled up—way up—at her. "Ready?" she inquired. The Sacrificial Soldier nodded, and Sailor Moon held out her Spiral Heart Moon Rod. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she cried, spinning quickly and powering up the rod.   
Sailor Orion, at the same time, sent the Orion Music Sphere up into the sky as she called out her own attack. "Heavenly Symphony!"   
A pink stream of light shot from the Moon Rod and was absorbed into the Music Sphere. The Sphere's glow intensified as the purifying energy was magnified within it, and the lovely music of their combined attacks filled the air as the power concentrated itself and then burst from the Sphere to focus upon the _jaki_. The monster shrieked as the cleansing light enveloped it, wiping out the negative energy that gave it life, and it liquified. The glistening black form melted down until there was nothing left but a puddle of the dark gooey substance; in a matter of moments that too had vanished into the pavement without a trace.   
Sailor Jupiter shook her head, staring at the spot where the creature had just disappeared. "That was too easy," she remarked suspiciously.   
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sailor Jupiter. I suppose next time I'll have to try a little harder to provide you with a greater challenge."   
The soldiers turned towards the saccharine voice, and found Lady Slipper smiling unpleasantly at them. Sailor Orion's pale eyebrows lowered dangerously. Lady Slipper had Centauri with her. The poor animal was restrained with a heavy leather muzzle and thick chokechain. Orion stepped forward.   
"Lady Slipper, I'm only going to say this once." The silvery eyes glittered. "Let Centauri go."   
The Negaverse woman's smile only widened. "I'm sorry, Sailor Orion. But I'm afraid I have need of your little doggy. I want you to tell Sailor Pluto that if she doesn't meet me at the Gate of Time in one hour, I'm going to kill your furry friend here."   
"WHAT?!!" Sailor Venus exclaimed. "You can't do that!"   
"Centauri has nothing to do with any of this, Lady Slipper," Mercury pointed out. "Killing him would not achieve anything."   
Lady Slipper arched a rosy brow. "You underestimate his importance," she sneered. "Centauri is an eternal soul like the rest of you. If he dies before his time, Orion cannot transform into her new soldier form. She'll either have to stop fighting as a senshi altogether, or transform on her own power alone. You all know what that means."   
"The Prince of Darkness," Sailor Mars mumbled, almost to herself.   
Lady Slipper giggled. "I have a feeling your friend Pluto would take great issue with the death of this particular canine. The time stream would certainly be affected…and as the guardian of time I'm sure she'll want to negotiate."   
Sailor Orion took another step forward, her fist clenched and her jaw tight. "Lady Slipper—," she growled, but the Negaverse woman merely winked at her coquettishly, and then vanished.   
As Centauri disappeared along with her, Sailor Orion could feel the power of her transformation being drawn away as well. Her vision faded and clouded over, and her sailor _fuku_ dissolved back into her regular street clothes. When the other girls looked up, they saw the blind girl standing alone in the street. Luckily, the streets were still empty and everyone remained in hiding; so they were reasonably certain that no one had seen the detransformation. But she made such a sad figure, so helpless and vulnerable without her guide.   
"Shinzui-san," Sailor Moon breathed sympathetically.   
Jupiter was the first of them to move. She walked to Shinzui's side and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, Shinzui-san," she encouraged. "We'll get Centauri back."   
Mercury and Venus nodded in agreement and also came to lay hands on their friend, and Sailor Mars patted her hand. Shinzui smiled gratefully at all of them. "I think we need to pay Setsuna a visit," she said quietly. She could hear the increasing bustle as the frightened shopkeepers and pedestrians finally began to emerge from their hiding places, seeing that the danger was over. "And we should go now, before you're all mobbed with fans."   
The girls nodded, and Jupiter and Mars each took one of Shinzui's arms. "Hang on," Sailor Jupiter grinned, and then all the senshi jumped. Using their enhanced soldier powers they carried themselves and the blind girl up and over the heads of the gathering crowd. The soldiers of fire and lightning held Shinzui fast, and together the girls made their way across the rooftops of Tokyo toward the other side of the city. 

**********

Guardian Father scowled as he gazed down at the pages of the Book of Balance, watching Lady Slipper disappear with Centauri in tow. He met the eyes of his fellow Guardians. "Well. What are we going to do about this?" he asked, the cascading strength of his voice filling the library of the Celestial Hall.   
The blue sashed Guardian rose to his feet excitedly. "Go after Lady Slipper," he answered. "There's no other way. We can't let anything happen to the Sacred Child's guide. It could endanger everything."   
But Oberon shook his head slowly. "No. Sailor Pluto watches over the Gate of Time. She still has a part to play in all of this. We must not intervene yet."   
Guardian Brother disagreed. "This is too important, Guardian Friend. We can't affort the risk. We must help."   
Neophilus laid a hand on the agitated young man's shoulder. "Never fear, Guardian Brother. We will not allow the risk to become too great. But for the moment, Oberon is right. There is a fate at work here that we must see through. We must not directly intervene." Looking again at the Book's shimmering pages, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But perhaps we might step in to help…indirectly."   
"What do you mean?" Demetrius wanted to know.   
Neophilus did not answer, but the longer he stared down at the pages, the bigger his smile grew. 

********** 

The comfortable whirr of the sewing machine was interrupted by the doorbell, which was one of those older models that sound like cathedral bells and resonated through the entire house. Setsuna stood up and arched her back a little. She'd been sitting in front of her machine all morning, and a little break would be welcome.   
"I'll be right there," she called as she switched her machine off and left the sewing room. It was probably Professor Tomoe. He'd promised to bring baby Hotaru over today so Setsuna could check the fit of the new school uniform she was working on for the little girl. She smiled a little as she made her way down the hall of her large house.   
Once she'd been certain that her continual presence would be required on Earth for the time being, she'd arranged for the ownership of the old Yamato place. Setsuna wasn't quite sure why she'd known it was important for her to buy this particular house, especially when it was so enormous and she was living there alone. Perhaps because it was close to the Tomoe's…but then, she could just as easily have taken a small apartment nearby as Haruka and Michiru had. Perhaps she should ask the two of them to move in with her. It would probably save them all some money, not to mention making their meetings much more convenient. But she pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind as she reached the door.   
Setsuna smoothed back a stray strand of dark green hair, and opened the front door. Her garnet eyes widened in surprise to see, not Professor Tomoe and the baby, but Shinzui, Usagi, and the four other younger girls standing on her doorstep. Chibiusa was with them as well, and the pink-haired child flew into Setsuna's arms, giggling.   
"Puu!"   
Setsuna caught the girl with a bemused smile. "Small Lady. Princess. What are you doing here?"   
Chibiusa pulled back a bit and regarded her gravely. "Lady Slipper did a bad thing and we need your help."   
The woman lifted an eyebrow. "You do?" she asked with some curiosity. Her eyes went to Shinzui's face, and the expression there told her that whatever was going on, it was very serious. Setsuna had the sinking feeling that she wasn't going to like this very much. "Come in, all of you," she said quietly, straightening up.   
The girls filed inside without speaking, and Setsuna led them into her parlor, which was a pretty, simple little room with several soft couches and large windows. They took seats on the couches, with Makoto guiding Shinzui by the arm. Setsuna settled herself in an armchair by the east window, and instinctively turned to the blind girl for an explanation.   
"Shinzui. What's happened?"   
Shinzui took a deep breath. "Lady Slipper sent a _jaki_ downtown today," she began. "It was meant to be a distraction. While we were fighting it off, she captured Centauri, and she's taken him to the Time Gate."   
Setsuna's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Why?"   
"She says she's gonna kill him!" Usagi interrupted anxiously. "If you don't go to the Gate with her she said she'd kill him."   
The garnet eyes narrowed. "That must not be allowed to happen. It is not Centauri's time, and without him the future may be drastically altered." Setsuna stood up. "I must stop her." The long silver staff, with her garnet orb talisman, shimmered into view in her hand. But Shinzui shook her head.   
"You must understand," she stated seriously. "Lady Slipper is setting a trap for you, Setsuna. She wants to test your blood for the presence of the Silver Dagger, but once she finds that it is not in you, she will try to kill you. Lady Slipper is extremely powerful. She has the ability to take your life, and if she were to succeed it would harm the timeline more than Centauri's death could." Shinzui sighed. "Without Centauri's power I cannot transform. I will not be able to travel to the Time Gate with you."   
Setsuna nodded. "I understand," she replied with equal gravity. "But the Gate is my responsibility. I cannot allow the integrity of the time stream to be comprimised, even if it costs my life." She lifted her staff and waved it slightly, and the space above them near the ceiling began to warp and twist and roil. The girls recognized the phenomenon; they'd seen it before on rare occasions, when Chibiusa arrived from the future, and when they'd all traveled to the Time Gate themselves to face the Black Moon family.   
Usagi looked up at the dark vortex and then back down at Setsuna, with trepidation in her pretty features. "Setsuna-san, don't. Don't go alone. There has to be some other way."   
Setsuna gave a faint smile. "If Professor Tomoe drops by, tell him I was called away by an emergency. Ask him to return tomorrow." With that, she made a leap straight up, and was drawn into the swirling portal. Space itself seemed to swallow her, and as her feet disappeared the vortex closed itself and calmed. The girls found themselves standing in the empty room as if Setsuna had never been there at all.   
There was concern in the blind girl's face, which they all noticed. "It's all right, Shinzui-san," Rei reassured her hesitantly. "Sailor Pluto is stronger than most of us. She'll get Centauri back for you."   
"She should have let us go with her," Makoto grinned. "I wouldn't mind facing off with that prissy Negaverse queen again."   
Ami looked up from her mini-computer. "I've calculated Pluto's chance of success, given that the Time Gate is her territory. There's a forty-eight point six percent likelihood that she'll be able to overcome Lady Slipper."   
Chibiusa's chin trembled. "I don't like those odds," she declared. "Can't we help her somehow?"   
There was a sigh from Shinzui. "Those odds are better than I would have predicted," she admitted, her tinkling, bell-like voice unusually tense. Abruptly she rose to her feet and used her arm to knock over an antique lamp on the endtable with great force. The china lamp fell to the hardwood floor with a crash, and the other girls stared at Shinzui in shock. She'd done that on purpose. The blind girl's face was hard, an expression that they recognized on Sailor Orion but seemed completely out of place for Giseino Shinzui. Usagi blinked in surprise. She'd never seen Shinzui get angry like that before. "When I get my hands on Lady Slipper…" Shinzui seethed, clenching her fists, completely oblivious to the shattered china at her feet.   
Minako touched the taller girl's hand hesitantly. "Shinzui-san," she began, but she wasn't sure how to finish. None of them knew how to respond to this.   
At Minako's touch, however, Shinzui suddenly sensed her friend's concern, and she calmed a bit, though her voice retained its tension. "Centauri is my friend," she said quietly. "He's always been there for me and I don't intend to abandon him now."   
"What are you going to to?" Rei wanted to know.   
"I don't know yet. But I'm not going to let Lady Slipper harm him, or Pluto either." She traced the edge of the opal in her bracelet. "I'm not completely out of options, you know."   
The others took a step back in apprehension. "No, Shinzui-san. You musn't," Ami warned, knowing what the older girl was thinking. "You said yourself that the Prince of Darkness is difficult to control."   
Shinzui nodded tersely. "I know. But there may be no other way."   
Usagi stared at her in horror. "You'd really put yourself through that?"   
"If it will save the life of a friend, yes."   
"If you transform without Centauri you'll be giving Lady Slipper exactly what she wants," Makoto pointed out gently. "She wants the Prince back, remember? You'll play right into her hands."   
"I don't like the mean guy," Chibiusa chimed in stubbornly. "Don't turn into him, Shinzui. He scares me."   
Shinzui gave a wry smile, and patted the rabbit ear _odangos_. "He scares me too, Small Lady."   
Usagi narrowed her blue eyes. "What if I order you not to transform?" she demanded.   
"Please, Princess." The blind girl turned towards her with a sad expression. "Please don't do that. You know that I will do anything for you, if you command. And if you order me not to transform I will not. But that order may cost me two of my dearest friends."   
Guiltily Usagi flushed. She'd forgotten for a moment that the issue was Pluto and Centauri's survival. But her embarassment, and their dilemma, was quickly alleviated as the three Guardians unexpectedly materialized in the center of the parlor.   
Chibiusa's eyes grew large as she recognized the three golden-robed figures, and Shinzui, regardless of her blindness, sensed their presence immediately. "Guardians," she greeted them with a tip of her head.   
Guardian Brother looked down at the floor, which was covered in broken bits of china and glass from the lamp, and he arched an eyebrow. "Trouble, Child?" he asked with irony in his tone.   
Shinzui smiled ruefully. "I think I owe Setsuna a new lamp," she replied. "But I'll worry about that later. Right now we have a bigger problem."   
Guardian Father nodded. "We know. That's why we're here."   
"I knew it! You're gonna stop Lady Slipper and get Centauri back, right?" Chibiusa broke in happily.   
Guardian Friend shook his head. "Not exactly, Small Lady."   
"We must not interfere directly," Guardian Father added. "But we're here to help, nonetheless."   
Shinzui nodded. "What do you have in mind?"   
"We're going to send you to the Time Gate," Demetrius answered immediately.   
"But there is a danger," Oberon countered quietly, before Demetrius' exuberance proved too contagious. "You will be going to the Gate in your untransformed state. In order to defeat Lady Slipper, you must get Centauri to help you once you've arrived."   
Neophilus laid a hand on her shoulder. "It is a risk," he agreed. "And you must be aware of it before you go."   
The blind girl's face was set. "Pluto knew the risks, and was willing to take them for Centauri's sake. I will do no less for both of them. Let's do it."   
Makoto grinned and nudged Minako with her elbow. "Somehow I knew she'd say that."   
Shinzui stepped forward into the center of the room, and the three Guardians gathered around her. Neophilus bent down so that she could kiss his forehead tenderly. "Safe questing, Child," he rumbled warmly.   
She turned and clasped Guardian Friend's hand, and he inclined his head to her. "Safe questing, Child," Oberon whispered.   
And then she turned to Demetrius, who put his arms around her in a close embrace. "Safe questing, Child." He held her a few moments longer than was necessary, and when he pulled back to gaze into her vacant eyes, she could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, knowing what he wanted to say. Shinzui lifted her hand and placed a finger on his lips.   
"Shh." Her vacant eyes were gentle, but warned him not to express what she knew he was thinking. "I know."   
He nodded. She was right, there was no use in perpetuating something that could never be. But he squeezed her arm gently instead. "Be careful."   
"Always." Her smile was genuine this time, as she turned to all of them and lifted her arms. "All right then, friends. I'm ready." She closed her eyes, knowing what she needed to do. Without her senshi power, she would have to use the Guardians' to open the portal to the Time Gate.   
The robed figures looked at one another, nodding, and then each of them extended a hand. Beams of jewel-colored power streamed from the fingertips of each, combining over Shinzui's head in a swirl of red, blue and purple. Shinzui could feel the energy entering her, and she nodded to herself. It would be enough. Concentrating, she took a deep breath, and began to sing. The words helped her to focus on her goal; saving Centauri's life. The song came to her easily, as if there was something inside other than her own mind that was forming the music . 

_*"You are the one, my closest friend,   
__ That guides me on a journey through my life.   
__Never letting me down, never letting it end,   
__A pure and golden heart you try to mend. _

_"Friends forever, never apart,   
__Nothing comes between us.   
__Friends forever, that's all I can say,   
__You are my shining star. _

_"Through wind and rain,   
__Through times when I'm blue.   
__Teaching me to live through pain,   
__Helping my life to gain. _

_"Friends forever, never apart,   
__Nothing comes between us.   
__Friends forever, that's all I can say,   
__You are my shining star. _

_"As times go by, I still trust in you, _   
_For you've helped me find my way.  
__Hope can be found, I know it's true,   
__It comes from trusting in you. _

_"Friends forever, never apart,  
__Nothing comes between us.   
__Friends forever, that's all I can say,  
__You are my shining star. _

_"I'd despair forever if you were gone,  
__But throughout my life I'd search.   
__From dusk of a day 'till the shining dawn,  
__Yes through the dawn, if you were gone. _

_"Because we're   
__Friends forever, never apart,   
__Nothing comes between us,   
__Friends forever, that's all I can say,   
__You are my shining star."* _

The music was beautiful, and Usagi and the other girls were held breathless in awe as the colored energies flowing from the three golden figures seemed to gather themselves into a circle above the blind girl's head. It was as if the song gave Shinzui control of the Guardians' power. The bright circle expanded and swelled with the melody, and even through there was no instrumental accompaniment, everyone in the room could still feel the potency of the words, so that no accompaniment was needed. This was Shinzui's gift, and she used it now to her fullest ability. The balancing powers in the center of the circle seemed to grab onto the edges of space, peeling it back so that the portal through which Setsuna had disappeared was made visible. Shinzui could sense the opening above her, and shivered a little as she sang. She'd forgotten how cold it was at the Gate of Time.   
The vortex, dark and clouded, was fully open above her by the time she'd reached the final chorus. With her eyes still closed and her arms uplifted, Shinzui was drawn upwards into the whirling space. Her feet left the ground, and her last words faded away as she vanished through the portal of time.   
With a soft whooshing sound, the portal closed itself after her, and the colored streams receded from the Guardians' fingers. The girls were left staring at the three huge men, and the room was silent.   
"What now?" Chibiusa demanded, her little voice rippling through the quiet like a stone dropped into a pond.   
Guardian Father turned his wise ruby eyes upon her. "Now, Small Lady…we wait." 

********** 

As Setsuna passed through the vortex, she could feel her lavender suit-dress being replaced by her sailor _fuku_. The air around her grew colder. At the Time Gate, where the streams of time converged and paused, it was always cold. It was a chill that she felt inwardly, not so much on the outside, and she both welcomed and despised it. The Time Gate represented her greatest privilege, and also her greatest trial. It was her duty to guard the Gate from those who would misuse its power, and while she was aware of the honor that this bestowed upon her, she was also aware that it was a heavy responsibility. At times she felt chained to the Gate, and even on the rare occasions that she took respite among the other Senshi, she still could not rid herself of the constant feeling that she was neglecting her duties by doing so.   
Mentally she berated herself for having stayed away so long this time. She'd told herself that the Senshi needed her more, and that her presence on Earth was more important for the time being. But she wasn't sure of that now. If she'd only kept up with her work at the Time Gate, Lady Slipper wouldn't have had access to it.   
But even as she scolded herself she knew that it wasn't entirely true. She knew that Lady Slipper had the power to overcome all of Pluto's defenses if she so desired. Shinzui had been right in saying that Lady Slipper was more powerful than she was. Sailor Pluto's grip on her staff tightened a little. She was going to be in for a very tough battle, that much was certain.   
In a matter of seconds, her travel to the Gate was complete. She saw the starry blackness rushing down to greet her, and then she was pushed through the last of the clouds, and found herself standing before the great silver gates. Lady Slipper was there, waiting for her.   
"Welcome, Sailor Pluto," the Negaverse woman sneered. "I wasn't sure you were coming. I had half made up my mind to forget the whole thing and kill him now." In one hand she held a small knife, which she waved towards the dog lying in front of her.   
Pluto looked down at Centauri with concern. The poor animal seemed to be dead already; he was unconcious, lying on his side at Lady Slipper's feet. "What did you do to him?" she asked, moving towards them.   
"Just a little chloroform. He was starting to get nasty. Bit right through that muzzle." She indicated the now useless straps of leather lying nearby that showed definite wear from a set of sharp and angry teeth. "It was either sedate him or kill him." She lifted an eyebrow. "It would be such a shame if the currents of time were disturbed so much, you know. I wonder what would happen to your precious little Posiverse without him. Amazing, isn't it, to think of what the possibilities might bring…if Centauri dies, it could destroy the entire universe. Then again, it might be nothing more than another sad doggie funeral in the backyard. Who can say?"   
Pluto shook her head. "You realize that I cannot allow you to disturb time this way. You are intruding upon the Gate of Time, and the punishment for all trespassers is death."   
Lady Slipper giggled. "I know, I know, and next you're going to tell me to prepare myself for the afterlife." She shook her head. "Perhaps you are the one who should be making those preparations, Miss Pluto. You'll never defeat me, let alone take my life. You're the oldest of the Sailor Planets; surely you understand that I am infinitely more powerful than you are."   
"Time belongs to infinity, Lady Slipper," Sailor Pluto responded calmly. "And you are in my realm now. Return Centauri to me and leave."   
"You want him?" A smile curved the evil woman's lips. "Come and get him."   
Pluto gripped her Garnet Rod and took a deep breath. "Very well." She held the Rod out and closed her eyes, concentrating her considerable power. "Dead Scream," she whispered intensely. Gray clouds swirled around her body, lifting her long dark hair and ruffling her skirt before gathering into a small planet-shaped ball of energy. The dark red orb at the tip of her rod flashed, and the energy was launched towards Lady Slipper.   
The Negaverse woman extended her arm as the positive power came hurtling towards her, and seemed to pluck the garnet colored planet from the air effortlessly, halting its advance. She held the shimmering energy in her hand for a moment, concentrating until the rich red color was replaced with a sickly pale green, the same shade as her venomous eyes. Once all the Posiforce had been tainted with her own negative power, Lady Slipper met Pluto's gaze with a cruel smile, and held the little planet up in her palm, blowing on it as one would blow a kiss to a friend.   
Pluto scarcely had time to blink before the painful attack exploded in her face. It had moved so fast she wasn't able to dodge it, and stars swam before her eyes as she felt herself lifted into the air and slammed backwards. It felt like needles were being jabbed into her eyes and cheeks, so sharp was the Negaforce that she'd absorbed, and as she fell she raised her hands to her face, trying to determine whether she was bleeding. There was no indication of blood there but it hurt so much that it was hard for Pluto to believe that the injuries were all internal. When she hit the ground, there was another burst of pain. For a moment she was too stunned to move at all. She lay blinking into the fathomless starry blackness above her, trying to focus. The stars were blackened out suddenly as Lady Slipper's face loomed over her with an expression of mock concern.   
"Oh dear. Are you all right, Miss Pluto?" The lovely features twisted into a sneer. "I most sincerely hope not."   
Pluto blinked again, and the blurry lines of Lady Slipper's face began to clear up just a little. She struggled to sit up, but Lady Slipper shoved her back down again with the heel of her hand. Pluto's head struck the ground a second time and she groaned with the pain. Lady Slipper clucked her tongue.   
"Not yet, dear. I'm not finished with you yet." Pluto could make out a flash of silver as Lady Slipper produced the small knife she carried. "You're going to give me that Dagger the Avatar wants. Then, I promise, I'll put you out of your misery."   
The pain in Sailor Pluto's head was so overwhelming that Pluto didn't even feel the sting as her skin parted underneath the sharp blade. Lady Slipper smiled as the scarlet line materialized on the Revolutionary Soldier's arm. "There we are," she cooed sweetly, and reached for the fire opal at her waist. "Let's just retrieve that Dagger, shall we?" The opal was waved over the trickle of blood.   
Nothing happened.   
"Damn!" Lady Slipper shrieked, rising to her feet and kicking the prostrate Pluto in the abdomen in her fury. "It was supposed to be you! Why does this keep happening to me? Damn it!"   
Pluto curled up and gasped as another kick knocked the wind out of her. Lady Slipper began to pace. "I've tested all you little Sailor brats now except for Sailor Moon and…" she stopped there, and froze. "No. It can't be him," she whispered to herself, fear creeping into her voice. "It can't be. It's got to be that pitiful Princess of theirs. I should have tested her first to begin with. She's the one with all the power." Lady Slipper glared down at Pluto scornfully. "A waste of time," she muttered. "This is becoming tedious." She turned her glare upon Centauri, lying only about a foot away from the fallen soldier. "And you…worthless traitor, just like Orion. Following her around like a mindless _jaki_. Wonder how she's going to get along without you?"   
The unconcious animal did not respond, of course, and Lady Slipper snorted with disgust, holding up her little knife. "I guess we'll find out," she snarled, taking a step towards the two helpless beings.   
"Lady Slipper."   
The Negaverse woman spun around in surprise at the familiar voice. There was Shinzui, standing before the Gate, all alone and untransformed. Lady Slipper's mouth fell open in surprise. "You…how did you get here?"   
Shinzui's lips quirked at one corner, her vacant eyes focused on some spot far beyond Lady Slipper's face. "The Guardians sent me. Now, return my friends."   
Lady Slipper stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. "And who's going to make me?" she managed to choke out between chuckles. "You? A poor little blind girl who can't take three steps on her own without her trusty little guide dog? What are you going to do, Orion, sing me to death?" She laughed again.   
Shinzui's face was hard, and she lifted one arm to display the opal bracelet on her wrist. "I can do much more than that, Lady Slipper, and you know it."   
Lady Slipper was still grinning from ear to ear. "Go ahead. Transform. It's always nice to see you in your true form." Shinzui hesitated, and Lady Slipper giggled, taking a step towards her. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she demanded with amusement. "I'm looking forward to having you back again."   
Shinzui frowned. "You know that if I release the Prince of Darkness he'll kill you," she reminded Lady Slipper.   
The rosy-haired woman arched an eyebrow. "You speak as if you're different people. YOU are the Prince of Darkness, Orion. Don't tell me you've forgotten that. And if you kill me…" she shrugged. "I'll be reborn eventually. It would be a small price to pay if it gets you to finally give up that nauseating piety you keep parading around."   
Shinzui shook her head. "You don't understand, Lady Slipper."   
"I understand perfectly. You're blind in more ways than one, Orion. You only see what you want to see. You think you belong to them? That you're one of them? That you fit in with them? All that sugary Posiverse nonsense is making you delusional." Lady Slipper took another step towards her, raising a hand to cup Shinzui's cheek. "You're mine, Orion. You always have been and you always will be. You can run around with those little twits all you want, and pat yourself on the back for being such a good girl. But deep down you haven't changed. You still crave the fight, the violence, the blood." She rose on tiptoe so that her lips were a mere inch from the taller girl's ear. "The kill." Lady Slipper felt the tremor that ran through Shinzui's body and she smiled as she pulled back, regarding the vulnerable blind woman with wolfish eyes. "You're not so different from me."   
Behind them, Pluto could catch snatches of the conversation. She wasn't sure how Shinzui had managed to follow them to the Time Gate, but it was obvious that the younger girl was in trouble now. She rolled her head to try and catch a better view of them, and realized that Centauri was lying within arm's reach. Shinzui needed his help if she was going to be able to defend herself against Lady Slipper, but the animal was still sedated under the influence of the chloroform. As quietly as she could, Pluto put her hand out and made contact with one silky paw. She still had a little energy left, enough perhaps for one more Dead Scream attack and that was all. Knowing just how useless Dead Scream had proved to be against Lady Slipper, Pluto understood that her power would be better used elsewhere. If she could just transfer enough to Centauri in order to wake him up…   
Pluto closed her eyes and forced her throbbing brain to concentrate. She felt a slight burning on her forehead as her planetary symbol started to glow, indicating the gathering of energy. With every last bit of strength she could muster, Sailor Pluto sent her remaining power into the golden retriever. As it left her body, Pluto felt herself collapsing into unconciousness. Her sight faded and she blacked out before she had the chance to determine whether or not her attempt to awaken the dog had succeeded.   
Shinzui forced herself to pull away from Lady Slipper's warm hand on her face. "We ARE different, Lady Slipper. You cannot feel things the way that I do. You're never struck with the wickedness of what you are doing. And perhaps that is fortunate; you do not have to answer to your conscience. I do." She shook her head, the vacant eyes sorrowful. "This struggle is between you and me. Let my friends go."   
Lady Slipper arched a rosy eyebrow. "No."   
Shinzui sighed. "Then you give me no choice." She held up her braceleted fist. "Orion--"   
"Wait, Shinzui!"   
Both women turned towards Centauri's voice as the retriever, still a little groggy but finally awake, stumbled to his feet. Lady Slipper growled her displeasure, but could not move fast enough to prevent Shinzui's guide dog from calling out her transformation phrase for her.   
"Orion Constellation Power, Make Up!" The glowing power streamed from Centauri's eyes to Shinzui's bracelet, and in a whirl of music and light the blind girl rose into the air and was changed into her Senshi form. As Orion was transforming, Lady Slipper glared at Centauri and delivered a sharp kick to the animal's ribs.   
"Meddlesome mutt," she hissed, lifting her foot again.   
Sailor Orion came up behind her. "One more kick like that and I'll break your leg," she stated icily, so that Lady Slipper turned towards her. The Negaverse woman giggled.   
"You're so wonderful when you're angry," she teased, batting her sea-green eyes at her former partner.   
Orion continued to stare down at her with that unnerving silver gaze, until Lady Slipper was forced to look away. "One day you're going to push me too far," she finally declared, her voice low and dangerous. "Be careful, Lady Slipper." The colossal soldier tilted her head to the side. "I'll make this easy for you. You have five seconds to leave this place before I start detonating things."   
Lady Slipper swallowed uncertainly, and then forced a flippant smile. "Fine. My business here is finished anyway." She flipped her long rose colored braid over her shoulder. "But you'd better keep a close eye on that precious little princess of yours, Orion. She's next." Lady Slipper winked impudently and then vanished out of sight.   
Sailor Orion stood for a moment looking into empty space. "Over my dead body," she muttered. Then she turned towards her fallen friends. Centauri moved his head as his mistress knelt beside him, and he attempted to stand but the soreness in his ribs was too much for him and he fell back with a whimper of pain. Orion stroked the golden fur gently. "Easy, old friend," she soothed. "You'll be all right in a moment." She checked on Sailor Pluto, noting that the Revolutionary Soldier had lost conciousness from lack of energy. Summoning her Music Sphere, Sailor Orion closed her eyes and concentrated.   
"Heavenly Symphony," she sang softly, and the humming sphere filled the air with a soft melody. Without opening her eyes, the pale haired soldier absentmindedly began to sing to the music.  
_"Friends forever, never apart,   
__Nothing comes between us.   
Friends forever, that's all I can say,   
You are my shining star." _  
The sweet, healing song worked its magic on both the golden retriever and the senshi of death, and after a minute Sailor Pluto was able to sit up. She could feel the bruises on her head and back fading away, and sighed with relief as the throbbing aches were alleviated. Centauri, too, was soon feeling much better. The Orion Music Sphere quieted, its work complete, and Sailor Orion smiled at her friends.   
Pluto took a brief glance around, noting that Lady Slipper was gone. She nodded at Orion. "Well done."   
Sailor Orion shook her head. "I couldn't have done it without you two. Thank you for helping me." She offered a hand to Pluto to help her up.   
Sailor Pluto took the hand and rose to her feet, picking her staff up and brushing off her dark skirt. "You do so much for us, Orion," she said quietly. "I was glad for the opportunity to return the favor." She regarded the taller soldier for a moment with her garnet eyes. "You are very important to the Sailor Senshi, Orion. You're part of our family and we love you."   
Orion's lips curved into a smile, and she gave a little nod. "And I love all of you," she replied, her tinkling voice gentle. She reached down and stroked the retriever's ears. "You too."   
Centauri looked up at her. "We should go back now," he suggested with a smile. "Sailor Moon has most likely run out of patience by now. We don't want to worry her."   
Pluto nodded, and turned to Orion. "Ready?" she inquired. At Orion's nod, Pluto raised her staff. A portal opened in the space in front of them, a dark, cloudy, swirling opening in the fabric of the air itself.   
Sailor Orion patted Centauri's head affectionately. "Come, friends. Let's go home." 

* - *: These lyrics were written by [Carol Dazmin][1], the winner of the Refuge's poetry contest. Thank you so much for the wonderful song, Carol, and congratulations!

   [1]: mailto:faith_fairy@hotmail.com



	28. A day of love becomes a day of fury! Ura...

Part Twenty-Eight: A day of love becomes a day of fury! Uranus' rage

Chibiusa pasted the last strip of lace around the edge of the paper heart in her hand, carefully patting down the edges so it would stick. "There!" she announced gleefully. "All finished." She sat back to survey her handiwork: an entire stack of pink and red construction-paper valentines. They were decorated with stickers, lace, little beads and smatterings of glitter, and though they were a little messy, one could easily tell that the child had poured her whole heart into them. "One for everybody," she smiled. The pink haired girl turned towards her future mother and Shinzui, who were also sitting at the kitchen table making valentines. She scowled with disgust at Usagi's pile of sloppy, gluey hearts with jagged edges. "Usagi-chan," she grumbled with her brows lowered, "you should be more careful when you are making gifts for other people."  
In response Usagi grinned brightly and thrust an enormous red heart slathered with glitter in front of Chibiusa. "Here, Chibiusa-chan," she declared happily. "I saved the biggest one for you."  
Immediately Chibiusa's frown melted away as she opened the little white card glued to the middle of her valentine. Despite the very messy _kanji_ handwriting, she could still make out the message inside:   
_To Chibiusa-chan. Happy Valentine's Day! I love you very much.  
_ _Your friend,   
_ _Usagi.  
_ The little girl threw her arms around Usagi's neck. "I love you too," she enthused. "Thanks, Usagi-chan!" The two of them then turned to look at Shinzui, who was placing the finishing touches on the last of her own valentines. They both sighed with admiration to see her neat stack of perfectly shaped, intricately decorated paper hearts, which had been cut carefully like paper snowflakes to make beautiful designs, and then pasted onto a different color background before being edged with lace and little origami flowers. The blind girl's head came up and she smiled at their envious oohing and ahhing.   
"Here, Princess. Chibiusa-chan. These are yours." She handed them both two small pink hearts, each one with stars and crescent moons cut into them. There were little white roses surrounding the lacy borders. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said sweetly.   
"Wow." Usagi fingered the perfect, smooth cuts in the paper. "These are so pretty, Shinzui-san! How did you do this? I mean…you can't see the scissors or anything."   
Shinzui inclined her head gracefully. "I use my fingertips, and imagine the shapes in my mind," she responded with a light giggle. "It's fun. Thank you for telling me which paper was the right color."   
In response both of the younger girls hugged her. "Thank you, Shinzui-san!" they exclaimed in unison. Shinzui laughed in that bell-like way and returned the embraces.   
"You're very welcome."   
Chibiusa's eyes fell on the valentine that Shinzui had just finished. It was larger and fancier than the others, made out of dark blue construction paper that had been cut so ornately that the design was the most delicate and prettiest of all. Tiny gold beads flowed around the edges, and the entire thing shimmered with gold glitter. Her eyes widened. "Who's that one for?" she wanted to know, looking at the blind girl.    
Shinzui reached out and carefully placed the valentine on top of her stack. "Someone special," she answered softly.   
Usagi's eyes met Chibiusa's, and the two girls shared enormous grins. "Oooh, Shinzui-san has a boyfriend, Shinzui-san has a boyfriend!" they both squealed at the same time.    
Shinzui only smiled softly, but she didn't respond.    
"Here, Shinzui-san," Chibiusa declared, sticking one of her valentines in front of the blind girl. "I made this one for you."    
Shinzui ran her sensitive fingers over the beads and glitter, and her face brightened. "Thank you, Chibiusa-chan. It's beautiful."    
Chibiusa nodded with satisfaction. "Yup. And it says 'Happy Valentine's Day to Shinzui-san. Thank you for being my friend.'"   
Not to be outdone, Usagi also handed Shinzui a paper heart. "This one's mine," she interrupted proudly. "I made it especially for you."   
Shinzui felt the awkwardly shaped heart that was still dripping with glue and plastered with stickers. But her smile of thanks was genuine. "It's wonderful, Princess. I love it." She could sense the friendship and love that Usagi had put into the project, and it filled her heart with warmth. "I'm very grateful for both of you," she said softly. "You'll never know how much. Thank you for your friendship and faith in me." Then she took a deep breath, regaining her composure, and smoothed a strand of pale hair out of her face. "Well now, ladies, if we're going to hand these out we'd better get started. Some of the senshi live pretty far away from one another." She rose to her feet.   
The other two nodded emphatically, and Centauri stood up from his position at Shinzui's feet and stretched himself as Shinzui took hold of his harness. Gathering their valentines into small baskets that Shinzui had brought for the occasion, the three set out to distribute their handiwork to their friends.

The Avatar drummed his long, wickedly curved fingernails on the arm of his throne. "Lady Slipper," he growled, "where is my Silver Dagger?"   
Lady Slipper bowed low. "Sailor Pluto was not the carrier, my lord," she answered hesitantly. "But I'm about to do what I should have done in the first place…I now know who the carrier is."   
"Oh really?" The Avatar's brows lowered. "Do tell."   
"That little Posiverse princess. She is the one with the Dagger, and I will retrieve it for you this very day, Avatar. You have my word."   
The man on the throne snorted in derision. "As if that means anything. Listen up, Lady Slipper…if you fail me this time--"   
"I will not fail you, my lord. Not this time."   
"How exactly do you plan on testing Sailor Moon, hmm? She's stronger than you, Lady Slipper, and Orion protects her zealously."   
Lady Slipper's sea green eyes narrowed. "I know this. But Sailor Moon has weak spots just as all those pitiful Posiverse humans do. If I take the little girl, she'll come to me herself."   
"You mean my counterpart, ChibiMoon." The Avatar stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you're right about one thing. Sailor Moon is ridiculously attached to the brat. And Orion will do what Sailor Moon tells her to." He nodded. "It might work. It had better work."   
Lady Slipper inclined her head. "It will, my lord. I am certain."   
"I want you to do something else, while you're at it," the Avatar added with a sudden evil glint in his eye. "To make sure that Sailor Orion is too distracted to defend her little friends…see that she and Sailor Uranus get put together on this one. That ought to keep Orion busy."   
Lady Slipper frowned. "I hate Uranus," she muttered rebelliously.   
"But Uranus hates Orion. It's the only really good thing that came from the end of the Great War." The Avatar's silver eyes, so like Orion's, glittered cruelly. "And we can use that to our advantage. Arrange it, Lady Slipper. I will take no chances. The vernal equinox is only a few short weeks away. We must have that Dagger."   
Lady Slipper bowed again, her rose-colored braid touching the floor. "As you wish, Avatar."   
"Dismissed." After a second, he called her back. "Lady Slipper?"   
She had almost reached the door of the throne room, but she turned back to see what he wanted. The Avatar was staring at her with narrowed eyes. "Yes, my lord?"   
"Don't come back without the Dagger," he ordered coldly. "Or you will have hell--and me--to pay. Understand?"   
Lady Slipper inclined her head. "I understand."   
"Good."   
The Negaverse woman left the room, and strode quickly down the hall of the Avatar's palace. _The sand has run out of the hourglass,_ she mused to herself. _If I don't bring him that Dagger now it will mean my life. I cannot afford to fail this time._ The heels of her sandals clicked on the hard stone floor. This would be her hardest battle yet…

********** 

"Happy Valentine's Day, Haruka." The elegant violinist's teal hair brushed Haruka's cheek as she leaned over her shoulder.    
"Huh?" Haruka turned for a moment to focus on her friend, but Michiru could tell that the racer was a million miles away. She smiled gently and brushed a strand of short sandy hair off her partner's forehead.   
"Where have you wandered off to?" she mused tenderly. "You've gone away and left me all alone again, hmm?"   
Haruka sighed heavily, her face weary. "I'm sorry, Michiru," she answered, doing her best to return the smile. All she managed was a sort of sad quirk at the corner of her lips. "I've just got a lot on my mind."    
"I know. It seems like every day you slip farther and farther away from me." A note of sadness echoed through Michiru's voice as she ran her fingers through her partner's hair absentmindedly. "You're my best friend, Haruka. You're the most important person in the world to me. You think I can't see how much you're hurting?"   
The tomboyish blond turned away from her then, back to the window. Tears stung Michiru's eyes at the rebuff. This was happening more and more often now. Haruka had never kept her feelings from her like this before…there had been a time when the two of them had shared a complete and unabashed honesty with one another about everything. But lately, her partner had been growing more and more distant, more and more silent. "Please, Haruka. Please, talk to me. Why won't you talk to me?" There was a heavy silence, and Michiru felt her eyes spill over as she blinked. "Don't shut me out like this, Haruka. I can't bear it. You're everything to me…everything. Let me help you."   
"There's nothing you can do." The despair in the racer's rich tenor voice broke Michiru's heart.   
"I can listen," the violinist protested, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I want to be here for you, Haruka. I want you to let me be the strong one for once." Another set of tears followed the first. "You don't always have to handle everything by yourself, you know."   
Haruka's voice shook. "Michiru, can I ask you something?"   
"Anything," came the response, and the beautiful musician took a seat on the window bench next to her friend, looking earnestly at the pensive face.   
"Have you ever…" The deep voice trembled, and Haruka took a deep breath before continuing. "Have you ever been afraid of me?"   
"What?" Her aqua eyes widened.    
Haruka turned to look at her with impossibly sad gray eyes. "Be honest."   
Michiru exhaled sharply. "No. No, of course not. I've been afraid FOR you, often. Especially lately. I don't understand what's been happening to you. But I've never, ever been afraid of you. You'd never hurt me."   
"Don't be so sure." Haruka looked away, down into the street. "I can't control this. I don't know how to fight it. And every time I see her, it gets worse."    
Michiru didn't have to ask who the 'her' was. She was all too aware of the inexplicable hatred her friend experienced every time they were in the presence of Giseino Shinzui, or Sailor Orion. She wanted to interject with encouragement, but she could see her partner struggling to find words for her next comment, and she didn't want to interrupt. This was the first time in nearly a week that Haruka had said more than three words in a row to her, and Michiru wanted to keep her talking. So instead she reached out and took the long brown fingers into her own, intertwining their hands, and nodded.   
Haruka sighed again. "By all rights I ought to adore Giseino Shinzui. She's a good fighter. She's smart, beautiful, a musician…so much like you. She's so…disgustingly perfect!" She spit out the last words bitterly. "But I hate her. I HATE her. Every time I see her, I want to kill her. It's damn near impossible to keep myself from smashing her pretty little blind face into the nearest wall." Haruka squeezed her eyes shut, her face contorted with pain, and without realizing it her grip tightened on Michiru's hand until the violinist whimpered involuntarily.   
The light sound caused Haruka's eyes to snap open again, and she snatched her hand away as if she'd been burned. She stared at Michiru with horror in her gray eyes. "You see? You see?!! Just the thought of her makes me lose control." She held up her hand and looked at it with something akin to fear. "I could hurt someone without knowing it…even you." Haruka met Michiru's eyes with a sort of desperation. "Michiru, if I ever hurt you, I…" She couldn't finish her sentence. "What kind of monster am I?" she asked, her voice shaking again and so low that Michiru could barely hear her. She was staring at her hand as if it were some alien thing.   
"Tenou Haruka, look at me." The gentle, sweet voice penetrated her fear, and the racer met her partner's tearfilled eyes. Michiru reached out again, deliberately, and took Haruka's hand into her own. She held it up between them, folding her slender fingers around the rough calloused ones. "You are not a monster, you hear me? You are the strongest, most courageous, most beautiful person I have ever known." She held the tanned fingers to her cheek, and Haruka could feel the warm, moist tears there. "Shinzui told me once that this is not your fault. I believe her."   
Haruka's eyes narrowed. "I don't care what the hell she says!!" she bellowed, tearing her hand away and standing up. "This is my heart, Michiru. My heart." She emphasized the last two words by striking her own chest with her fist so hard that she could feel bruises. "No one is responsible for my feelings but me. If it's not my fault, whose fault is it?" She turned to the wall, and furiously smashed her fist into the plaster, creating a large hole. When she pulled her hand out the knuckles were bleeding, but she paid no attention. Her muscles trembled and she leaned forward to rest her burning forehead on the cool wallpaper. Again she pounded the wall with her bloodied fist, her whole body shaking.   
Michiru watched her partner with tears continuing to stream down her face. She reached out and took Haruka's arm, pulling the taller girl down to her. Haruka fell to her knees at Michiru's feet, her head in her lap, and wrapped her powerful arms around Michiru's waist. Michiru cradled the blond head, resting her cheek on the soft short hair and rocking back and forth. "Shh. It's all right. It's all right."   
Haruka did not cry. She never cried. But she clung to Michiru as if her life depended on it, her entire frame quivering uncontrollably. She'd never felt this helpless before…and Haruka did not like feeling helpless. "I'm sorry, Michiru. I'm so sorry."   
"Shh." The musician tangled her fingers in the thick blond hair. "Don't worry. I'm right here, Haruka, and I'm not going anywhere. It's going to be all right."

********** 

Shinzui stopped short at the entrance of the apartment building, and Chibiusa looked up at her curiously. "What's the matter, Shinzui-san?" she asked, as the blind girl's lips parted and she gasped under her breath.   
For a second Shinzui could not answer. She felt Haruka's pain all the way out there in the street, and the intensity of it knocked the wind out of her. "Oh no. Oh no." The vacant eyes suddenly filled with tears, and the blind girl put a hand out against the building to steady herself. Centauri's head snapped up with concern.   
"Shinzui, what is it?"   
Shinzui shook her head, taking some quick deep breaths to compose herself. She tilted her head down towards Usagi and Chibiusa. "I think the two of you should do this one alone," she managed in a pained voice. "Here…take these and give them to Michiru and Haruka for me, would you?" She handed Usagi a delicate turquoise lace heart and the large, beautiful valentine that Chibiusa had noticed earlier. Usagi took them, and as she looked down at the big navy and gold heart she knew.   
"This is for Haruka-san, isn't it?" she asked with wonder in her voice. "Shinzui-san, why doesn't she like you?"   
Shinzui shook her head, her face tight. "It's not her fault," she murmured, mostly to herself. "It's not her fault."   
Usagi's face was still a mask of puzzlement, but Centauri cleared his throat. "Princess," he said quietly. "It's best if you do what Shinzui says. We'll wait for you here." Still frowning, Usagi put the pretty valentines into her basket.   
"I guess. Come on, Chibiusa-chan." The two Tsukino girls went through the large glass doors to deliver the last of their valentines, and the moment they were gone Shinzui sank to the ground, her back against the plate glass and her head buried in her arms.   
"It's not fair, Centauri. She shouldn't have to suffer anymore. She shouldn't have to suffer because of me."   
"Shinzui, you have to give it time."   
"It's been a thousand lifetimes!" she choked out with a sob. "And it gets worse, not better. She's never hurt this much before. It's never bothered her so much. Centauri, I can't stand this. I can't." She gave a shuddering sigh. "Why does this go on? Why does she continue to be punished for what I did? This isn't her fault. She SHOULD hate me. I hate myself."   
Centauri wasn't sure what to say. He knew that there wasn't anything he could do to alleviate his mistress' guilt and distress at the moment…heaven knew he'd been trying to do that for thousands of years.   
"I wish it could be like it was before…when she hated me and didn't care. At least that was my pain, not hers."   
"You don't mean that," the golden retriever answered. "Uranus is healing. Perhaps this guilt she feels for her hatred of you is the beginning of something different in all of this. Perhaps this time she will be able to find forgiveness…"   
"It's not worth it!" Shinzui retorted hotly. "I don't want her to forgive me. I don't deserve it. And she certainly doesn't deserve this suffering. I've caused her enough pain already." The blind girl's voice shook. "We have to find that Silver Dagger soon, Centauri. I have to get out of her life. I have to."   
He licked her hand sympathetically, and curled up beside her. Sometimes, it was necessary to just allow her to grieve.

********** 

There was a knock at the door. Michiru checked on her partner again before going to answer it; Haruka had a hammer in one hand and several nails sticking out of her mouth as she silently patched the hole she'd made in the wall. She met her friend's eyes for a brief moment, and received a nod. When she was sure that everything was all right she went to open the door.   
"Happy Valentine's Day, Michiru-san!" Usagi and Chibiusa exclaimed brightly in unison.   
Michiru laughed delightedly at the sight of the messy but affectionate valentines being thrust into her hands. "Usagi-chan…Chibiusa-chan…thank you. Please, come in."   
Haruka looked up from her work and grinned around the nails between her teeth. "_Odango atama_. What brings you here?"   
"We made valentines for you and Michiru-san, see?" Usagi handed a very glittery paper card to her. "Because you're our very important friends!"   
Haruka chuckled low in her throat, and put the hammer down so she could remove the nails from her mouth. "Thank you, _odango_."   
Chibiusa stared curiously at the partially mended hole. "Haruka-san! What happened to your wall?"   
"Little accident," Michiru replied quickly without looking at Haruka. "Here, would you two like some Valentine cookies? I baked them this morning."    
Usagi's eyes lit up. "Cookies!" she exclaimed happily, reaching for the plate of red frosted hearts.    
Chibiusa's eyebrows lowered. "Usagi-chan," she grumbled, "You already ate six cookies and two cakes over at Mako-chan's house. You're going to be fat!"   
Usagi stuck her tongue out at Chibiusa and took a cookie anyway. "I am NOT fat," she retorted, "and besides, you're the one who's always eating sweets."   
"Am not!"   
"Are too!"   
"Am not!"   
"Are too!"   
Michiru and Haruka exchanged amused glances, and took the opportunity to read their cards while the younger girls were otherwise occupied. Michiru smiled sweetly and interrupted the argument. "These are such lovely valentines, girls. Did you make them yourselves?"   
The girls broke off their arguing to nod enthusiastically. Usagi's eyes widened. "Oh, almosh fahgot," she mumbled around a mouthful of crumbs. Chewing quickly, she reached down into her little basket, and then pulled out the last two valentines as she swallowed. "Here, these are from Shinzui-san."   
Haruka took an involuntary step back. "Is she… here?" she wanted to know, her voice suddenly a little hoarse.    
Usagi shook her head. "Uh-uh. She stayed outside."   
Haruka let out her breath in a sigh of relief, but looked down in trepidation at the exquisite gold-adorned valentine that she was being offered. Michiru came to the rescue smoothly, taking the blue heart from Usagi's fingers. "Oh, it's so pretty, isn't it, Haruka? And so is mine. Shinzui is such a talented person." She set the cards up on the counter without waiting for a response. "Be sure to tell her thank you for us, Usagi-chan."   
Usagi nodded, busy stuffing another cookie into her mouth. Chibiusa rolled her eyes at her future mother, and then turned to Haruka. "Haruka-san, how come you don't like Shinzui-san? She's awful nice."   
Haruka gave a nervous smile, her eyes darting to Michiru's. "Well… I… that is…" She was interrupted by the sudden motion of the apartment door as it was forced off its hinges.   
Usagi gave a shriek of surprise and terror. The door flew into the room, slamming down flat on the floor, and Chibiusa instinctively lept backwards to avoid it. Haruka caught the child and snatched her away in time to prevent the door from falling on her. The four girls stared in disbelief as Lady Slipper marched into the apartment, her heels crunching over the splintered wood.   
It took Haruka approximately half a second to register what had happened. In that half a second, Chibiusa was suddenly wrenched from her arms by an unseen force. The child flew across the room, and into Lady Slipper's hands. Haruka snarled. "You!"   
Usagi screamed again. "Chibiusa-chan! Give her back, Lady Slipper!"    
Lady Slipper laughed. "You want her, little princess? You'll have to come with me."   
"Lady Slipper!"   
Haruka felt her blood freeze at the familiar voice, and she looked up to see Sailor Orion standing in the doorway, glaring at the Negaverse woman. Lady Slipper giggled again. "Running a little late, aren't we, Orion?" she sneered. Then she turned to Usagi. "Well, are you coming?"   
"Princess, don't," Orion declared coldly, taking a step forward.   
Lady Slipper wrapped one hand around Chibiusa's throat. "Come any closer and I'll kill her," she threatened. Orion stopped moving. "What will it be, Miss Moon? Either you come with me now, alone, or I kill your precious pink brat."   
"You'll have to kill me first," Haruka growled, feeling the familiar rage racing through her veins and trying her best to keep it focused on the evil woman. She lunged forward to seize Chibiusa, but Lady Slipper narrowed her eyes and a sudden burst of energy knocked the motorcyclist off her feet and threw her back into the wall she'd just been working on.   
"Haruka!" Michiru cried out in alarm, and Usagi shrieked.   
"Stop it, stop it, please!" she begged Lady Slipper. "I'll come with you. I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt anybody."   
"Princess, no," Orion protested, but Usagi fastened those crystal blue eyes on her.   
"I don't want anyone else hurt," she declared firmly.    
Lady Slipper nodded in satisfaction. "A wise decision. Let's go." She snapped the fingers of her free hand, and vanished along with Chibiusa and Usagi.   
Haruka grunted and picked herself up from the floor, shrugging off Michiru's attempts to help her. Her blood was boiling, and she felt like her brain was on fire. In an instant her _henshin_ pen was in her hand. "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!" she hissed.   
Following suit, Michiru also produced her own pen. A few seconds later, two Sailor Senshi stood facing at Sailor Orion. "What are we waiting for?" Uranus demanded, the red rage nearly bursting behind her eyes. She wanted to kill something. Now.    
Sailor Orion looked at her with concern. "Uranus, Neptune, are you sure you want to do this? Maybe I should go alone."   
"Not on your life," Uranus snarled. "NOBODY breaks in my door and takes people out of my house. If you're not coming then get out of the way. We're wasting time."   
Orion nodded. She could feel Uranus' fury, directed at her, and recognized the other girl's attempts to control it by channeling it towards their enemy. She knew that if the Magnificent Soldier didn't get a battle soon, she would lose control completely; and with Lady Slipper to fight against, she couldn't leave them to face her alone. "They're on the roof," she said simply. "Follow me."   
As they raced through the halls towards the stairs, Sailor Orion focused her own energy on Uranus, sending her as much control as she possibly could. Uranus needed every bit of it. Orion sensed the tenuous hold that she was keeping on her hate, and her heart ached even as she reached out with her own emotions to help her fight it back. This was hate she deserved. She shouldn't be fighting it, and neither should Uranus. But the Princess' life, and Chibiusa's, were in danger, and there was no time for vengance or just rewards.    
They reached the stairs and practically flew up the flights of steps. Though Sailor Orion was in fine physical shape, Uranus charged ahead of both her and Neptune, and Orion felt a wave of satisfaction from the enraged senshi. Uranus' love of speed was giving her a measure of positive feelings, which also helped in controlling the roiling negative ones, and Orion dropped her own speed, just a little; enough to give Uranus a greater lead.    
Sailor Neptune cast a curious look over at Orion. She too, picked up on the waves of strength that the older soldier was sending to her partner, and she smiled with gratitude. She wasn't sure why Uranus had so many awful feelings for Sailor Orion, but she herself really liked the Sacrificial Soldier. There was something so genuine and generous about her…a self denial and courage that reminded her of her partner. It was really a shame that Uranus despised Orion. The two of them would make a formidable fighting team if they were able to work together at it.   
Since Haruka and Michiru's apartment was only four floors from the roof of the sixty story building, the senshi were able to reach it in about one minute flat. Uranus burst through the final door at the top with the force of a freight train, and immediately caught sight of Lady Slipper and the other two girls. Lady Slipper had Chibiusa by the wrist, and the other hand held a small shiny knife. Usagi, standing in front of her, had her arm held out timorously and was covering her eyes with the other hand, screaming bloody murder all the while. Lady Slipper hadn't cut her yet.   
Uranus' eyes were scarcely slits now, and she threw her fist in the air. "World Shaking!" she bellowed, sending her golden planet-shaped attack ripping through the surface of the apartment building roof. Sailor Orion and Sailor Neptune arrived on her heels, just in time to see Lady Slipper kick the ball of power away from her as if it were a troublesome dog nipping at her heels.    
"Look out," Orion warned, and grabbed Uranus from behind, throwing her to the side to avoid the returned attack. Uranus yelled furiously as Orion's hands came into contact with her shoulders, and as the power bounced harmlessly past them she shoved Orion away.    
"Get off me," she growled, rolling herself a good distance from Orion before getting up. "I can take care of myself. Why don't you try doing something useful like using those Mini-Spheres of yours, instead of tossing me around?"   
Orion stood up and shook her head. "It's too dangerous, Uranus. The Mini-Spheres are too destructive and someone in the building could get hurt." Behind them she heard Sailor Neptune release a Deep Submerge attack, but she didn't have to turn around to know that Lady Slipper would be unaffected by that one as well.   
Uranus hissed between her teeth, and a vein in her neck throbbed. "Fine. Then stand here and watch, coward." What she really wanted to do was to blast another attack right at the repulsive taller soldier, but she was able to focus that impulse in a different direction. In a voice shaking with rage, she called out, "Lady Slipper! Let's see you get rid of this one!!" Her arm went up again. "World Shaking!" This time, she poured as much of her hate and anger into the words as she could. The golden energy exploded from her hand with a force like she'd never felt before.    
"Uranus, no!!" Orion cried, realizing the strength of the attack and looking at Lady Slipper. Usagi had managed to dodge away from the menace of Lady Slipper's knife, but Chibiusa was still being held by the wrist.    
Lady Slipper felt the vibrations in her defenses before the planet struck, and she knew a split second before she was hit that this attack what somewhat different from the first. Sure enough, it was. Her sea-green eyes widened in shock as the attack tore through her shields, and a split second before her body was enveloped in golden pain, she felt Chibiusa's hand being snatched out of her own.   
Orion grunted with pain as the edge of the Shaking attack grazed her back. She clutched Chibiusa to her chest and rolled with her on the ground, feeling the skin of her knee and thigh grazed away when they skidded to a stop. Her head struck hard, so that little golden stars seemed to dance behind her eyelids for a moment. When she was finally able to open her eyes and focus, she checked on the little girl in her arms. "Chibiusa-chan, are you all right?"   
The child nodded, but her russet eyes were fearful. "Sailor Orion, you're hurt," she cried, seeing the bleeding scrapes on the older senshi's cheek and brow.    
Orion gritted her teeth as she forced her body to stand. It was not the first time she'd felt Uranus' World Shaking, and this time she hadn't even taken the full force, but it was nonetheless a decidedly unpleasant experience. "I'm all right, Chibiusa-chan. Find Usagi and get out of here, all right? She's the one Lady Slipper wants."    
The pink haired girl nodded, and Orion turned to discover what had happened to Lady Slipper. She knew firsthand what Uranus' attack felt like, and suspected strongly that with the power that particular one had behind it, her former wife had not escaped unscathed. She was right. Lady Slipper was struggling to her feet, but she was obviously in pain. Orion turned to see Uranus grinning sadistically, her stony gray eyes shining with hate. The sight broke her heart. _Oh, Uranus. What have I done to you?_ She felt like crying as Uranus summoned her shimmering space sword from her body.   
"Now, Lady Slipper, you're finally going to get what you deserve." The senshi of earth moved forward, and Orion could see that there was no way Lady Slipper would have time to summon a defense.    
_I can't let this happen. I can't let her turn into me…this is wrong!_ Sailor Orion did not stop to think. She could not allow Uranus to become a murderer, to kill someone who could not fight back. No matter how evil Lady Slipper was, it couldn't end like this. Not like this. Orion lunged forward. "Lady Slipper!" she cried out, and as Uranus brought the sword talisman down for a death blow, Orion shoved the Negaverse woman off the edge of the building.   
There was the sound of laughing as Lady Slipper realized she was saved. Uranus watched in disappointed fury as the falling woman gathered her remaining energy and shimmered out of sight, transporting herself from midair to safety. In a split second, it was over. Lady Slipper had escaped, and now Uranus' last threads of control snapped. She turned her wild eyes on Orion. "Why did you do that, you fool?" she screeched, seizing the taller girl by the neck. "I'll kill you!"   
"Uranus, stop!" Sailor Neptune screamed out, but Uranus could not hear. She could not see. She could not think. Uranus wanted blood. Her vision filled with red, and she was lost to herself.   
Orion's eyes filled with suffering as the disgust and loathing in Uranus' face burned into her soul. It was actually physically painful to face so much hate, and she went limp in Uranus' hand. It would be better to just let Uranus kill her now. It was no more than she deserved.    
Sailor Uranus lifted Orion off the ground and flung her sideways almost twenty feet, using the incredible strength she was notorious for. Orion found herself hitting the ground for the third time, and she gasped as the breath was knocked from her body and her lungs collapsed on themselves. For a few seconds she could not remember how to fill them again.    
Uranus let out a howl of glee, and brandished her space sword. What happened next took only a matter of seconds, but for Orion it seemed to drag out for agonizing hours.   
"NO!!!!!" From the corner of her eye Orion saw Usagi appear from behind, running at Uranus, trying to stop her advance. What was she still doing here? She was supposed to have left with Chibiusa. She shouldn't be here. Orion didn't have the breath to cry a warning. Uranus was beyond reason now, and wouldn't recognize the princess. This could only end badly. In horror, Orion watched helplessly as her beloved princess seized Uranus' shoulder. With an animalistic snarl, Uranus used her other arm to grab the tiny Sailor leader's wrist. In a quick, savage motion, Uranus flipped the smaller girl over her head, and Orion heard the sickening snap and Usagi's resulting scream of pain as her arm was broken with her own body weight. Ponytails flying, Usagi was wrenched through the air with scarcely an effort. Uranus, maddened to the point of insanity, threw the injured Usagi off to the side like a broken doll. With that, Orion's body recalled its ability to breathe, and she drew in the sharpest, most painful rush of air that she'd ever taken in her life.    
"Princess…" she moaned, but her voice was too far gone to be heard, and it was too late. Usagi had struck her head on the edge of a fan casing mounted to the roof, and was out cold.    
"Usagi-chan!!" That was Neptune's voice. "Uranus!" The aqua haired soldier flew in from the right, and again Orion tried to cry a warning. Neptune didn't understand. Uranus was no longer in control of her own body, and not even Sailor Neptune would be able to get through now.    
"Stop," she croaked hoarsely, again too faintly to be heard and too late to be heeded.   
Uranus' head came up as this second obstruction appeared in her path. Blinded by rage and completely oblivious to her own actions, Uranus seized Neptune by the throat and shoved her up against the low wall that ran around the edge of the building. Neptune's lovely turquoise eyes widened with terror as she realized that Uranus was going to throw her off the building just like Lady Slipper. "Uranus," she choked out, the iron fingers at her throat suffocating her windpipe. "It's me, Neptune. Don't do this. Fight it…you have to fight it." She could feel herself losing equilibrium. It was a long way down, and Neptune didn't have Lady Slipper's ability to transport herself to safety. If she went over the edge of the wall she wouldn't stop until she'd struck pavement. And Haruka…Haruka would never forgive herself.    
But the blond soldier's face twisted into a sneer, and she only pressed Neptune harder against the edge of the wall. Neptune dug her heels into the ground in a frantic attempt to keep her balance. "Please…Haruka, please…"   
At the sound of her name on Neptune's lips, Uranus hesitated. At the back of her mind, and through the numbing rage, there was something calling out to her, telling her that this wasn't the one. Not the one she wanted to kill. The bloodlust seared through her body, scorching the inside of her chest, and her fingers rebelliously tightened against that little voice of protest until it could no longer make a sound. But that nagging feeling still persisted. There was something wrong about this. The one she had in her hand was the wrong one. This wasn't who she hated. This was someone different. She didn't want to kill this one. This was…. This was….   
"Michiru." The name suddenly formed on her lips, blazing across her memory like fire. Her eyes suddenly found a focus, and slowly, very slowly, she began to realize exactly what was happening. Her hand, around Michiru's neck. Her arms, holding Michiru over the edge of a sixty story building. Her body, forcing her weight on Michiru's body so that she would fall. And Michiru's face, purpling with lack of oxygen, contracted in fear. She was trying to kill Michiru.   
"Oh my god." The sneer on her face melted into an expression of abject horror. She released Neptune's neck and pulled her forward, preventing her from falling. The Elegant Soldier coughed and choked as the pressure at her throat was suddenly released, allowing her to breathe. Uranus let go and stumbled backwards, turning to see Usagi lying a few feet away. The petite girl was unconcious, her arm bent at an unnatural angle, and a growing pool of blood beginning to stain one of the long blond ponytails. Sailor Uranus felt the bile rise in her throat. She was going to be sick. "Oh my god. What have I done?" She met Sailor Orion's silvery eyes, as the Sacrificial Soldier finally regained her footing.   
Now, the absolute shame and abhorrence of what she had been doing overpowered even her hatred of Orion, and she met those sad, sad silver eyes with shock. "What have I done?" she choked out, stumbling back a few more steps.   
Orion was torn. She wanted to go to Uranus, to comfort her, to reassure her that it would be all right. But the truth was, she didn't know if it would be. And the one thing that she was certain of was that Uranus didn't need any contact with her right now whatsoever. The best thing would be to get out of her sight before she did more damage…but not without Usagi. She turned away from Uranus and knelt by Usagi's side. Her Music Sphere could reset the bone, but she couldn't use it now. That blood meant that Usagi had hit her head; Orion found the gash on the left temple and was relieved to find that it was bloody, but not deep. Still, there was always the possibility of concussion with a head wound, and she was loathe to move Usagi until she knew for sure. Looking back up at where Uranus was standing, however, she knew she had no choice. She couldn't stay, and she certainly couldn't leave Usagi here in this condition. It was a good thing that Usagi was unconscious, because Orion knew this was going to hurt. She bent down and carefully scooped the tiny Sailor leader into her arms, mindful to support the broken bone. Rising to her feet, Orion met Uranus' eyes one last time before pressing the stone set into her bracelet. Invisibility wrapped itself around her and the girl in her arms, and she turned away. She had to get Usagi to the Guardians. Broken bones were a little more difficult to fix, and she would need their help. Deep down, though, she knew that Usagi's injuries were not the most severe that had been suffered today. And the injuries to Uranus' soul would be the most difficult to mend, if they were mendable at all.    
Invisible tears streamed down invisible cheeks, the salt stinging her bleeding scrapes. This was her fault. It was all her fault. Once again she'd managed to hurt the people she loved most in the world. The ones she had sworn to protect. How could she have been so foolish? She should have gone alone, should have made Uranus and Neptune stay behind. She should have let Uranus kill Lady Slipper. She should have let Uranus kill HER. As Orion made her way out of the building with her precious burden, she found herself begging God to let her die. She just wanted to die again, and get it over with.

********** 

Uranus stared at the place where Orion had vanished with Usagi. She knew that Usagi would be safe with Orion…Orion would get help. But her own heart was failing her. Her breathing came in quick gasps as reality asserted itself more and more brutally. She had been ready to kill Sailor Orion, a person who had never done anything but good for them since the moment she'd arrived in their midst. And she had lost control so completely that she was unaware of Usagi's presence, or Michiru's either, for that matter. She'd nearly killed both of them. And it was all for no reason. She was a monster. That was the only possible explanation for all of this. She was more of a monster than Orion had ever been, because she knew better. It almost cost the lives of her most beloved friends.   
The memory of Usagi's twisted arm rose in front of her eyes again, and this time she could recall the loud crack of bone as she had pulled the tiny, defenseless and untransformed Sailor leader over her shoulder. She could still hear the heartwrenching shriek of pain, and feel the dead weight of the limp form in her hand before she flung it away. Uranus' throat burned, and she bent over suddenly, retching. Her stomach heaved and she felt like she was turning inside out.   
"Uranus. Uranus, are you all right?"    
She jumped as Sailor Neptune laid a hand on her arm, and with the back of one hand she wiped her mouth as she straightened up. "Don't touch me," she gasped hoarsely. "Don't touch me, don't look at me, don't come near me."   
Neptune's eyes filled with tears as she watched her partner. She couldn't even begin to imagine the guilt that Uranus was putting herself through at the moment, but the sight of her getting sick all over the roof was a good indication that this was extremely serious. "Uranus, it's all right. It will be all right, you'll see."   
Uranus shook her head, her eyes wild. "No. No, no, no. It's not all right. It will _never_ be all right." The red marks on Neptune's fair skin stood out like brands, and Uranus looked down at her own hands in revulsion. The fingers curled into fists of their own accord. _I was trying to kill her. I WANTED to kill her. I wanted to kill all of them. What's happening to me? _She felt her stomach heave again, and doubled over to spit out even more bile.   
"Uranus…" Sailor Neptune took a step towards her.    
"Stay away from me!!!" Uranus stumbled back a few more steps to the wall at the edge of the roof. "Oh, god…" She looked up at the sky, the infinite blue sky that she loved so much. Now it seemed to be hiding itself from her, hiding behind dark clouds that frowned down on her in disgust and repellence. "Oh god, what have I done?" _I want to die. Please, please just let me die._ How could any of them ever forgive her? Sailor Orion would hate her now, and with every reason. How could she ever look Sailor Moon in the face again after what she'd done today? She'd sworn to protect the solar system and its future queen. She was a traitor to her own cause.    
Her gaze, crazed with despair, grasped at Sailor Neptune's image, taking in the exquisite features, the worried eyes, the extended arms. So beautiful. The most beautiful girl in the universe. She remembered that same face, inches from hers, eyes wide, nostrils flared in terror. Those same arms at her wrist, trying to pry her hand away. And that beloved voice calling her name, begging her not to take her life. Michiru, her partner, the one person in the universe closer than a friend, closer than a sister, the person that she lived and breathed for, had looked into her eyes with fear for her life. If she could destroy Michiru in a fit of blind rage, she was capable of anything.    
_Oh god, please, I want to die. _   
Her hands gripped the edge of the wall behind her, and a sudden thought dawned. Without another word, Uranus straightened her legs, threw out her arms, and let herself fall backwards, over the edge. Her feet flew over her head in a perfect, terrifying arc, and she disappeared.   
Sailor Neptune's heart stopped. "URANUS!!!" she shrieked, her voice breaking in fear. "Uranus, no!!!!" Running to the wall, she leaned over as far as she dared and screamed again.   
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!" It was a sound that pierced the streets of Tokyo with ominous echoes.


	29. Crisis in a warrior's heart! Save the ra...

Part Twenty-Nine: Crisis in a warrior's heart! Save the raging wind 

The air rushed past her body with an icy, knifing pain that that was oddly satisfactory. She welcomed the pain. She wished for more. She wished for the end. It would be a long fall, she was certain, and she couldn't wait to reach the bottom. She wondered what it would feel like, to die. Certainly she had died before, but with each rebirth the memories had been erased. It was time for all of these memories to be erased, too. She didn't want them; she couldn't live with them. Maybe she'd be lucky this time around and the cycle of rebirth would skip her.   
It seemed as though she fell for hours. Hours that were seconds. She thought, perhaps, that she heard Michiru's voice calling her name. But it was probably just the wind in her ears. She could still see the beautiful face before her, the aqua eyes shimmering with tears, the long white arms reaching for her. But she would not reach back. It was only her own life she wanted to end, not Michiru's. This would be the price for her betrayal. For the sacrilege she had committed in raising a hand to Sailor Moon. She would die a traitor, and rightfully so. It was the fate all traitors deserved.   
She didn't want to think anymore. She closed her eyes. Any moment now…   
"Sailor Uranus."   
Uranus opened her eyes, trying to determine where the disembodied voice was coming from. For some strange reason she wasn't falling anymore. How was that possible? She was floating…suspended, in darkness. And her _fuku_ was gone. She looked down at herself, surprised to find that her body was glowing with a light all its own, a light so pure and brilliant that it clothed her nakedness completely. Was she dead already? That must be it. She'd hit the ground so hard and fast that she hadn't even felt the pain. A flash of regret went through her. She SHOULD have felt pain. She needed it. But still, it was over. She was dead, and she couldn't hurt anyone anymore.   
So now what? Uranus had never given much thought to the concept of heaven and hell, but she was certain, if they existed, she'd be headed for the latter…especially after what she'd done today. "Let me make things easy for you," she responded flatly to the voice. "Just give me my one way ticket to hell and I'll be on my way."   
"You are not dead, Uranus."   
The voice was disturbingly familiar: youthful, but with a strange ancient quality. She knew that voice, and in a moment was proved correct as a glowing robed figure materialized several feet away. "You're one of the Guardians." It was a statement, not a question.   
The figure inclined its head. "I am Guardian Brother. This," he lifted an arm to indicate the surrounding blackness, "is the Celestial Hall."   
"Let me go. I'm a little busy at the moment." Uranus was not in the mood to be speaking with any of Orion's friends, be they great mystical Guardians or not.   
But Guardian Brother shook his head. "I cannot allow you to take your life, Uranus. Your time has not yet come."   
"I don't give a damn about my time!!" Uranus hissed. "I am going to kill someone. Do you hear me? I'm a danger to the other senshi, your precious little Orion in particular. If you don't let me die, Guardian, then I will kill her…I swear it."   
Demetrius' voice was sad. "I am sorry, Uranus, but I cannot let you die. There is a destiny yet to be discovered, and people who still need you."   
"Do I look like I care?"   
"Frankly, yes." Uranus' eyebrows went up, and Demetrius smiled slightly. "You wouldn't have jumped off that building if you didn't care, Uranus." A growl erupted from the girl's chest, and Guardian Brother shook his head sadly. "No matter what you may think, none of this is your fault. You must believe that."   
"And no matter what you say, I can never believe that. Now let me go." She spoke the last sentence very slowly, with a dangerous gleam in her eye.   
Demetrius sighed unhappily, but nodded. "As you wish."   
There was a sudden rush of cold air, and the darkness became light again while the light surrounding her faded and she could once again feel the skirt of her _fuku_ flapping against her thighs. For a split second she rematerialized in midair, hovering breathlessly over the ground. She had only the time to realize that she was about ten feet from the pavement before she started to fall again.   
As her body struck the sidewalk, she cursed the Guardian who had saved her life. Her head hit the cement and the world exploded into thousands of colorful dancing stars. Pain shot through her spine, all the way down to the tips of her feet. Everything was black and red and strangely brilliant, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. One thought was foremost in her mind: _You may have stopped me, but this is far from over._   
As she lay on the pavement, blinking sightlessly at the sky, a crowd almost instantly gathered around her. She could hear a sudden cacophany of muddled voices, and a few even hesitantly reached out to touch her. Their fingers were snatched away by other onlookers with more sense, and she could begin to make out some of the voices close to her.   
"Somebody call an ambulance!"   
"Look…it's a Sailor Senshi. What's she doing here?"   
"I saw the whole thing. Looked like she fell off the building, and then she disappeared."   
"And reappeared a few feet off the ground!!"   
"Is she dead?"   
"Did anybody call the hospital?"   
A kindly, older voice came very near her ear. "Don't be afraid, miss. I'm a doctor, and we're getting you some help right now." She felt gentle fingers taking her pulse, and checking her breathing. "Good news, miss…I think you're going to be all right."   
Uranus made a little sound that, had she been feeling better, would have been a snort of disapproval. _Yeah. Great news._   
"Let me through. Please. Please let me through." Uranus recognized the sweet voice, and groaned. She didn't want Michiru to see her like this, not now.   
The elegant musician squeezed into the forefront, kneeling down beside the doctor. She was well known in Tokyo as a great violinist, and many members of the crowd who recognized her tried to give the lovely girl some extra space. Despite the fact that her partner's hair was so brightly turquoise that it hurt her eyes, Uranus could still make out the tears streaming down the pretty face as Michiru took her hand.   
"Uranus, it's me. Listen to me, it's going to be all right. They'll get you to a hospital and I'll be right here with you."   
She felt her hand being pressed to a wet cheek, and a flash of guilt went through her. She didn't want to make Michiru cry.   
"Excuse me, miss, but do you know this woman?" a nearby policeman tapped Michiru on the shoulder. "I need to ask you a few questions."   
Reluctantly Michiru allowed the policeman to pull her away from her fallen friend, and Uranus could just make out the familiar voice telling the policeman how the big strong Sailor Senshi had saved her life when she was attacked on the top of her apartment building, and how the monster had pushed her savior off the building and then vanished in midair. Thanks to Michiru's impressive acting skills, Uranus had no doubt that the police would accept her story.   
The ambulance arrived in a whirl of blue and red and screaming sirens, and she felt herself being carefully moved onto a stretcher and strapped down in case of neck injuries. Uranus knew there was nothing wrong with her neck or back, and several times tried to get up and leave, but there were too many strong hands holding her down. Normally she would have just overpowered them all and ran off in the other direction, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Visions of Usagi flying over her head, that resounding, ominous crack of bone, her fingers wrapped around Neptune's throat…it was all just too strong. She didn't want to hurt anyone else. She didn't even have the will to fight back anymore.   
She was loaded into the back of the ambulance, but the men wouldn't let Michiru ride with her.   
"Only family," she heard one say as the doors were slammed. She caught a glimpse of her partner's pale face through the glass as the ambulance drove away. Secretly, she was relieved. It would be better if she could kill herself without Michiru watching. She didn't want Michiru to remember her that way. Of course, this would be the last time Michiru would ever see her…she managed to raise her head and offer a smile and a little reassuring wave before they were out of sight, and she did not miss the look of relief that covered the beloved face. There. That was better. A good memory. Uranus wondered how hard it would be to find something suitable to commit suicide with in a hospital. It didn't really matter. She was a Sailor Senshi, after all…designed to be resourceful.   
The ride to the hospital seemed to go by in a sort of daze. With every turn of the wheels, Uranus sank deeper and deeper into depression. Curse that know-it-all Guardian. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be dead. Uranus was determined to make herself pay the price for what she'd done. Attacking Sailor Moon was nothing short of treason, and traitors should die. Preferably slowly.   
When the ambulance pulled up to the emergency entrance and she was wheeled out on a gurney, she turned her head and saw one of the nurses looking right at her, smiling. But this nurse was not…Uranus suddenly forgot all about getting inside the hospital, and in a matter of seconds had broken free of the restraints and leaped from the gurney. She took three steps towards the pink-haired nurse, grabbed the front of her scrubs, and lifted her about a foot into the air.   
"What are you doing here, Lady Slipper?" she snarled.   
Lady Slipper's eyes went wide. It had been a long time since she'd seen Uranus so out of control. It was so… "Magnificent," she breathed, her sea green eyes shining. "Just magnificent. I can almost see what Orion sees in you."   
At Orion's name, Uranus' gray eyes darkened ominously and she gave a half screech, half growl before throwing the Negaverse woman into the side of the building. The astonished EMT's who had brought Uranus in moved forward uncertainly to help the hapless nurse, but backed off almost immediately as the nurse threw off her scrubs to reveal white leggings, sheer pink skirt panels, a lacy white halter top and one elbow length white leather glove, minus fingers, on her left arm. The men may not have recognized Lady Slipper, but they knew instinctively that anyone wearing such a ridiculous outfit in public was probably not all human, and they wisely chose to hang back and let the Sailor Soldier deal with it.   
Uranus repeated her question. "What are you doing here?"   
Lady Slipper laughed lightly. "I'm just here to finish what you started, Uranus," she responded, batting her eyes. "You almost killed Sailor Moon before I got the chance. Tsk, tsk."   
It was as if Uranus had been punched in the stomach, and Lady Slipper knew it. Her rose colored braid swung as she pulled out her tiny silver knife. "I just want a look at the girl's blood," she sang sweetly, fingering the sharp point. "You should have told me what you were planning. If I'd known you were going to do the job for me I would have let you have the honor."   
Uranus hissed again and darted forward. In a lightning quick move, Lady Slipper brought up the knife, and Uranus only stopped as the blade pressed against her neck. Lady Slipper rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop it, Uranus. You realize I can kill you with a snap of my fingers."   
"Be my guest." The wild gray eyes actually made Lady Slipper a little nervous. She found the Magnificent Soldier's fingers wrapped around her neck, and she was suddenly dangling off the ground again. "But I'm taking you to hell with me." The grin on Uranus' face was feral, desperate.   
Lady Slipper was not too worried, however. She lifted an eyebrow, and suddenly Uranus felt a terrible burning pain as cracking dark energy seared into her hands, causing her to let go of the woman's throat. The Negaverse woman grinned and held out her gloved hand, releasing a stream of pink power that crashed into Sailor Uranus. This time it was the senshi who was lifted into the air and tossed backwards.   
Uranus grunted as recent bruises, still tender from her fall, once again struck against solid cement. She had to pause for a moment to regain her senses, and as she did Lady Slipper extended her little knife, tapping the blade so that a drop of black, glistening liquid rolled down to the tip and then fell. It hit the ground with a sizzle and began to swell, and at this point the EMT's decided it might be prudent to retreat inside the hospital doors where it was safer.   
Sailor Uranus rose to her feet as the _jaki_ formed in front of her. It was a particularly ugly one, with three long, sharp fangs overhanging its fleshy lower lip. Lady Slipper patted the creature on the shoulder. "Now, my pet, once you've finished off this troublesome Sailor Senshi, fetch me the little blond princess, will you?" She winked coquettishly at Uranus. "Have fun, dear." A moment later she had vanished, and Uranus was left to confront the monster alone.   
"All right, ugly. Let's see you do something right for once. Get over here and kill me." Uranus grinned, and summoned her space sword talisman. "This is the way I want to go down…fighting."   
The _jaki_ leered and lunged at her, and Uranus dodged out of the way, landing a blow to the back of the creature's neck as she went. It hissed its displeasure and spun around, blasting a stream of black lighting from its mouth. Uranus managed to pull her arm in just in time, and she nodded. "There we go." She put one fist in the air. "World Shaking!"   
The planet shaped attack ripped through the ground towards the _jaki_, who moved out of the way but still managed to get its foot caught by the golden power. It screeched at the sudden burning sensation, and Uranus snorted. "Oh, come on. Don't be such a baby…it's just a little sting to you." She lifted her sword, but the creature had decided it had taken enough of her punishment and released another blast of crackling dark energy. This time it caught her in the midsection with paralyzing pain, tossing her backwards yet again. Uranus growled as her body hit cement and the screeching power ripped through her muscles.   
"Now…we're having fun," she managed to sneer despite the excruciating sensation. The pain in her body somehow dulled in comparison to the pain in her soul, however, and she wanted more. She needed more. The _jaki _eyed her on the ground, and once it was assured that she was sufficiently immobilized it turned to enter the hospital in search of the little yellow-haired human that its mistress had demanded.   
Uranus scowled as the evil spirit started to walk away. "I don't think so. Get back here…you're not finished with me yet." Knowing that the creature would not turn back to her unless she gave it good reason, she forced her quivering, rebellious muscles to hold her up, stubbornly ignoring the fiery pain. She put one fist in the air and called out her attack again. "World Shaking!"   
The attack crashed into the _jaki_'s back, and it was significantly more powerful than the first one she'd released. This time the monster hissed loudly and twisted around, striking her across the face with its claws so that a row of three bleeding gashes appeared on her cheek. Uranus swung with her sword, the glowing blade creating its own bloody stripe on one arm. "Come on, you know you want to," she growled at the evil spirit, hitting it again with her sword. "Just kill me and get it over with, will you?"   
The _jaki_ threw another punch that landed in Uranus' belly and threw her backwards for the fourth time. She was tossed so far that she struck the white brick wall of the hospital, and crumbled to the ground in pain. The _jaki_ decided that it was best not to leave the job unfinished this time. This particular senshi seemed to have a death wish, and it was not opposed to granting it. Its mistress would be pleased if it took out one of the senshi. With a snarl the creature rushed forward.   
Uranus smiled grimly. At last. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow that would end her life. Images of her friends began to run through her memory like bad movies, voices from the past and the sights and sounds of all the battles she had fought and won. Bitterly she forced herself to focus on the memory of Neptune's face, as Uranus' fingers choked the life out of her. It would be all right, now. She would die, and go away…somewhere where she could never hurt any of them again. Where there was no Sailor Orion, no Sacred Child, no damned Eternal Sacrifice. Where there was no HER. They would all be safe from her now.   
But the blow never came. Only a sudden silence.   
Uranus opened her eyes to find that somehow, she was holding the space sword up in front of her; and the _jaki_ had impaled itself onto the shining blade. The purity of the talisman proved too much for the evil spirit, and tore through the dark, glistening body. The creature melted away, around the sword, turning into a puddle of black gooey liquid that sank into the cement and vanished. Sailor Uranus stared in disbelief…she didn't have that kind of power. It took both Sailor Moon and Sailor Orion a joint attack to destroy one of these things. How on earth…?   
Looking up, she saw a doctor standing by the hospital's glass doors. He had a shock of snow white hair, and his brilliant sapphire eyes were gentle. Uranus cursed. Demetrius. The man nodded slightly in her direction, and then turned away. The senshi sighed, banging her head into the wall behind her in frustration. He'd managed to ruin things again. Who did he think he was? _Fine. Just fine._   
The sword talisman shimmered as it was reabsorbed into her body, and she picked herself up off the ground, grimacing at the pain that washed over her. Well, at least if she wasn't dead yet, she could still suffer some physical hurt this time. That was a small comfort. But it was not enough.   
She dragged herself away from the wall, stumbling off in the opposite direction. It was time to stop playing games. She was going to end this, once and for all. If she couldn't die in battle, there was another alternative. It was her second choice, but at this point Uranus was in no mood to be picky. As she regained more control of her muscles, she broke into a run. 

Demetrius entered the library of the Celestial Hall silently, and stood in the doorway a moment just watching the girl bent over the Book of Balance. Her soft white hair fell in clouds over her shoulders, two tiny braids framing her earnest face as she gazed into the Book earnestly. Her pretty face, still tearstained, was so full of pain that it broke his heart. She was aware of his presence, and when he didn't say anything she looked up. Those silver eyes, the sweetest eyes in the universe, met his, and they were shining with tears.   
"How is she, Guardian Brother?"   
He knew who she meant, but deliberately he chose to misunderstand. "She's doing fine. We've reset her arm, and she has ten stitches at the back of her scalp, but the Princess was lucky. There's no internal bleeding and we were able to heal most of the superficial injuries entirely. One more treatment from your music sphere and we should be able to take the stitches out. She'll have to wear the cast for another day or so until the bone is mended."   
The Sacred Child nodded to show that she understood, but it wasn't the answer she'd been looking for. "And Uranus?" she asked quietly.   
Demetrius sighed, dreading the subject that he knew was coming. It was only going to cause her pain. Still, he had to be honest. "Still determined to take her own life."   
A crystalline tear dropped from the pale eyelashes to roll down her cheek, and she lowered her head to look down at the Book in front of her. Its pages were dark now, but only a moment before she'd witnessed the battle between Uranus and the _jaki_. It frightened her. "Her soul is so clouded, Guardian Brother," she said quietly, her musical voice trembling. "She feels guilty for a hate she does not understand. Yet it is not her fault, it is mine. I deserve her scorn and she is the one who suffers. I cannot allow this to go on." She looked back at him. "I will not allow it."   
Demetrius took a seat at the library table next to the Child. "What can you do?" he asked. "It used to be that Uranus was much different. Much colder, much less caring. Every lifetime, exposure to the Princess has gentled her a little. Surely you do not wish for her to return to that unfeeling state."   
"What I wish…" the Sacred Child sighed. "Uranus was much different BEFORE all this happened. Before I destroyed everything. Don't you remember, Guardian Brother? She was the gentlest, most loving, most compassionate of all the Senshi save the Princess herself. A magnificent soldier. She was the best of everything the Sailor Planets stood for, and her heart was almost as big and pure as the Imperium Silver Crystal. She was strong, kind, powerful and good to everyone. Even me." She shook her head, sections of silvery hair whispering about her ears. "I took that girl and I murdered her. I shattered that crystal heart into a billion pieces and left her to try and cope without it. What I wish, Guardian Brother, is to be able to take it back."   
He shook his head. "You know that is impossible. Sailor Pluto would never allow it, and even if she would, we Guardians could not. What's done is done, Child. It allowed the Posiverse to win the war, did it not? We could not risk it again simply for the sake of Uranus' heart. You know that."   
"Yes. I do." She met his eyes. "But Uranus is dying again, from the inside out, because of me. Because she doesn't understand why she hates and she believes it makes her a monster. Her suffering is causing her friends to suffer as well, and no one except me knows why. I cannot allow this to continue, Guardian Brother. I…" She took a deep breath. "I am going to tell her the truth."   
"No!!" Demetrius' sapphire eyes widened in horror. "Child, you can't do that. She's so close…so close to regaining her old sensitivity and tenderness."   
"She's close to suicide, Demetrius. On my account."   
"Child, listen to me. If you open the past it will only bring her more pain. It will only bring YOU more pain. You musn't do it."   
The Sacred Child lowered her head. "It could not possibly bring me any more pain than it already does," she said softly. "Don't you know that I relive the past every day of every lifetime? I carry it with me all the time. And while I do not wish those memories on Uranus, I do not have a choice." Another tear fell. "It hurts her more to think that she is a danger to those she loves, that somehow she is the source for all the rage. She needs to know who the true source is, and she will never believe me if I do not give her the whole story. I'm going to tell her."   
Guardian Brother shook his head and pushed the hood of his robe back so that she could see his face. "She'll kill you. You know that."   
She nodded, but her expression was resolute. "It would be no more than I deserve. The vernal equinox is approaching quickly, Demetrius. I'm dead anyway."   
"Guardian Father and Guardian Friend are not going to like this."   
"I know. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Just…" she fastened her eyes to his. "Don't tell them yet. Promise me."   
He sighed heavily. "You know I don't like secrets like this, Child."   
"Please, Demetrius. For me. This is something I have to do." Her silver eyes scanned his face until finally, reluctantly, he nodded. A little smile spread over her features. "Thank you." She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his in the lightest of kisses.   
It was meant to be a kiss of friendship and thanks, and he knew it. But it made his heart ache. She had no way of knowing what she did to him, this little girl with her silver eyes and heart of gold. Fighting the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her again, he instead pulled back awkwardly. "Please don't, Child." His voice was a little hoarse.   
She nodded in understanding, sorrow in her face, and gazed at him a moment longer before rising to her feet. "I must find Centauri," she said quietly. "And then I will look for Uranus. Don't let her…do anything to herself until I can get to her, all right?"   
He inclined his head, not trusting his voice. She laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, and then with a rustle of white satin, she was gone. 

When a knock finally sounded on the door, Michiru nearly flew across the room. She wrenched the door open and fell into Shinzui's arms with a sob. "Thank God you called. She hasn't come home."   
The blind girl patted the musician's back soothingly. "It's all right, Michiru. The Guardians are watching Uranus. They won't let anything happen to her."   
Michiru sniffed and nodded, and took a step back to allow Shinzui and Centauri to enter the apartment. It only took the blind girl a moment to know that both apartment and owner were in shambles. Centauri guided her carefully around piles of strewn clothing and newspapers. As she moved to sit on the couch, she reached underneath herself and pulled out a large paper heart. She felt around its edges, recognizing it as the valentine that she had made for Haruka. A lump formed in her throat, but she did not have time to consider it further because she was distracted by the loud rattling of china as Michiru brought the tea tray over and cleared a space for it on the coffee table.   
"I'm sorry it's such a mess in here," the aqua-haired girl apologized in a shaky voice. "It's just that…without Haruka I sort of fall apart. I've been trying to think where she might be, where she would have gone. I went to the hospital but they told me she never checked in." She took a seat next to the blind girl.   
Shinzui inclined her head. "There was a _jaki_ at the hospital; Lady Slipper sent it for the Princess. Uranus killed it."   
Michiru's eyes widened. "By herself?" she asked, and Shinzui nodded. Michiru shook her head. "I've never seen her like this, Shinzui-san, never. I don't know what to do." Her voice broke, and the teapot in her hand trembled so violently that Shinzui reached out and took it from her, pouring cups of tea for both of them and then setting the pot back down on the low table. "It's like she's turned into a different person, a stranger. And she's scared. I never thought I'd see the day that Haruka was scared of anything." She turned teary eyes on the blind girl. "What's happening to her, Shinzui-san?"   
Shinzui sighed. "Michiru, there are many things that you don't know about me, and about the past. The way that Haruka feels about me is not her fault." She took a deep breath. "Millennia ago, I did some things to her that were unforgivable. And even though she cannot remember what I've done, she cannot forget the suffering I caused. Now, she believes that there is something wrong with her because she cannot remember the cause for her hate." The blind girl's tone was sad. "I intend to right this."   
Michiru tilted her head. "What do you mean?"   
"I am going to take her into the Orion Sphere, and show her the past. And once she knows, she will no longer hate herself." Shinzui patted Michiru's hand. "But she will hate me even more than she does now. And so, before I open those memories to her again, I'm going to tell you. Haruka will need your support and strength if she is to work through the past again. The first time around, you were the only stablizing force in her world. You're going to need to be there for her again."   
Michiru nodded in understanding. "Tell me."   
The blind girl inhaled sharply, and then, in a halting voice, began to share her story; a story that had remained buried for thousands of years. As she spoke, the memories came back in a flood, and several times she was forced to stop and regain her composure before she could keep going. Still, she related the entire horrific series of events as accurately as she could, and Michiru's eyes misted over again in many places. Though she did not have any of her own memories of what Shinzui spoke of, there was something oddly truthful about the story. It was like a terrible sense of déjà vu, and despite the fact that she could not remember, the things Shinzui was telling her were disturbingly familiar.   
By the time the blind girl was finished, both young women were in tears, and Michiru was shaking her head in disbelief. "It's just so hard to imagine you doing any of those things," she stammered. "It's no wonder that the Prince of Darkness is so feared in the Negaverse."   
Shinzui nodded sadly. "He is a monster."   
"WAS a monster." Michiru hugged the taller girl impulsively. "You are not that Sailor Orion any longer, Shinzui-san. You cannot be held responsible for what he did lifetimes ago. You are a completely different person."   
"Am I?" Shinzui's smile was rueful. "Sometimes I'm not so sure." She twisted her fingers in her lap. "I still feel him inside me sometimes, especially when I fight. He frightens me."   
Michiru returned the smile. "Shinzui-san, I will tell you the same thing I told Haruka. You are NOT a monster. You are strong, courageous, and compassionate, and you have a beautiful spirit." She squeezed Shinzui's hand gently. "Listen, you aren't defined by how you feel. You're defined by what you do. And in this lifetime, at least, I've never seen you do anything but what you had to in order to protect the people you care about." The violinist shook her head, teal hair billowing around her neck. "You're right. Haruka has every reason to hate you. But she's still wrong."   
Shinzui's head came up in surprise, and Michiru lifted an eyebrow. "Shinzui-san, Haruka is the most important person on earth to me. Anyone who causes her pain is my enemy. But that doesn't mean that I can't forgive, and it doesn't mean that Haruka can't either. What happened in the past is in the past. Those crimes were committed by someone else, and Haruka has transferred the blame to you because she never had enough time to achieve closure." The musician smiled again. "But I know Haruka. She is not as hard or as cold as you have described. And she can forgive. I'm sure of it."   
The blind girl sighed. "I don't want her to forgive me, Michiru. I cannot forgive myself. I just want her to understand that it's all right for her to hate me."   
"But it's not all right," Michiru responded gently. "Because Haruka is a better person than that. You'll see." Her smile widened. "You know, the two of you are so much alike. You both have such strength, and yet you're both so hard on yourselves. It's like you are willing to tolerate flaws in everyone EXCEPT yourselves. The two of you, working together, would make an incredible team, you know."   
Shinzui shook her head in amusement. "The two of YOU make an incredible team. You don't need me." She tilted her head to the side. "I need to find Haruka. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"   
Michiru's eyes darkened. "No. I've been trying to think of that all afternoon. It used to be that when she was upset, she came home to me, or went riding. But her bike is still here, and so is the convertible."   
Shinzui's tone was very soft. "Michiru, if Haruka was going to kill herself, where would she go?"   
Michiru gasped a little. "You think she's…"   
Shinzui nodded. "The Guardians won't let her die," she replied comfortingly. "But I need to know where she would be."   
The pretty musician racked her brain. "Well…Haruka always used to say that she could die happy on the racetrack…" She looked up. "Shinzui-san, that's it. That's where she's gone, I'm sure of it."   
The blind girl rose from her seat. "Which track?" she asked, her voice low.   
Michiru also stood. "Uh, let me think. Um…it would have to be the longest one in Tokyo. The one where she won the most races. That would be the Fuuraiki Track, in the eastern district."   
"I know where that is." Shinzui took a firm grip on Centauri's harness and turned to go.   
"Shinzui-san." Michiru took a step forward, and Shinzui turned back to face her. "Before you tell her anything, make her promise not to kill you." A grin spread across the violinist's face. "She'll keep her promise, no matter how much she may hate it."   
Shinzui nodded, but her smile was much more melancholy. "Thank you, Michiru. And don't worry. I'll get her back to you, safe." The tall blind woman and her retriever left the apartment. 

Ignoring the pain that was blazing through her head and limbs, Sailor Uranus sprinted towards the high chain-link fence that surrounded the racing complex. Yes, this would do nicely. In one soaring leap she cleared the top of the fence, landing solidly on her feet though the shock to her joints was jarring. She paused for a moment, breathing deeply, savoring the burn of oxygen in her lungs. It had been a good run. It would be her last.   
Her eyes scanned the familiar complex. It was starting to get dark now, and the long shadows of twilight made eerie shapes out of the fence and the occasional aesthetic tree. She was on the far side of the track, on the edge of the grass that surrounded the oval stretch of pavement. The garage was on the opposite end of the oval, and with a bitter grin she broke into a run again. In about forty-five seconds she had crossed the entire track and reached the back of the garage, and without breaking stride she kicked the side door in.   
It was cold and dark inside, and she turned to close the door behind her. With that done, she was able to breathe a little easier. Finally. It was almost over now. The heels of her boots made harsh clicking noises against the slick cement floor as she made her way into the garage. Racing season was over now, and the garage was full of the odds and ends needed to service the various cars and motorcycles that passed through it during its busy months. But somewhere in here was her target; the most precious jewel of Japanese racing. It was a Ferrari, a blue one, that had gone undefeated for the last two seasons. The specs on this car were phenomenal; more horsepower than a few hundred stampedes and an engine that could power a jet plane. Its owner, Tohru Fuuraiki, was the grandson of the man who owned the racetrack itself. He'd commissioned the car a few years ago, and last season he'd hired Haruka, one of the most well-known racers in Tokyo, to drive it for him in the nationals. She'd fallen in love with the car the first time she'd sat behind the wheel, and together they had managed to become the new Japanese Grand National Champions for the year…it was one of her favorite memories. Since she was going to die, she wanted to do it in that car.   
At first she considered taking it out on the track and running one of the curves too fast. The car would flip and probably explode, and she'd be dead in a matter of seconds. But that would be such a waste of a really fantastic work of art. The car was too special to be destroyed like that, and besides, it didn't belong to her. But there was always more than one way.   
Weaving her way in and around the piles of tools, tires and spare parts, she reached another door. This one was unlocked, and beyond it she found what she was looking for. She recognized the sleek bodywork even under the long white dropcloth that draped over it, protecting the new paint job. With a reverence that was close to religious, she carefully pulled the cloth back to reveal the glossy blue hood and dark, luxurious interior. Uranus nodded. "I love this car," she said out loud, to no one in particular. As she reached out to open the door, she caught the faint reflection of her own face in the window. She realized that she was still in senshi form, and considered detransforming. But…no. She wanted to die this way, as a soldier. She was a traitor and a danger to her sister soldiers, but she was still a Sailor Senshi and she would die that way.   
Uranus opened the car door and slid under the dashboard for a moment, searching for some wires. After a few moments the engine roared to life, almost impossibly loud. She shook her head. These things were so easy to hotwire…you'd think that with such expensive cars, the owners would take a few more security precautions. Straightening up, she went over to a cabinet above the small sink and pulled down several ragged towels, the ones the mechanics used for cleaning their hands, mopping up oil, and wiping down greasy parts. She soaked the towels in water from the sink and then went to the small doors on either side of the room, stuffing the wet terrycloth into the cracks below. There. That would do it. She turned to look at the back of the car, which was already spitting out clouds of black exhaust, and she nodded. It shouldn't take too long. An hour at most.   
She returned to the car, this time sitting down in the driver's seat and pulling the door shut. There was a helmet on the passenger's side, which she put on. The seatbelt was fastened securely, and the windows were rolled down. Once everything was in place, she leaned back in the seat, her hands on the wheel. Her eyes closed, and she waited.   
Of course, exhaust wasn't the most romantic way to go. It would have been far more dramatic to have struck pavement when she threw herself off the apartment roof, or even to have been killed by the _jaki_ while defending the Princess that she had just injured. But fate (or rather, those interfering Guardians) did not seem to think that she deserved even that much dignity. Oh well. It wasn't like she could ever redeem herself now, anyway. She was determined to pay the price for her crimes, to remove the threat to her friends. She was going to die no matter what the Guardians tried to do about it. They would not stop her, not this time.   
She coughed a little as the heavy, poisonous smoke grew thicker. It smelled awful, like burning oil and pungent gasoline, but she didn't mind too much. Oil and gas ran in her veins like blood. She was used to them. Gas meant speed, and speed meant wind, and wind meant life. She was suddenly struck with the irony. Here she was, dying, and she felt so alive. One by one, she called to mind the faces of her friends: Ami, with her sweet intelligence and surprising stubborness. Rei, with her passion and spirit. Makoto, a living contradiction of strength and sensitivity. Minako, the cheerful dreamer. Hotaru, who was ever a mystery. Setsuna, wise and quiet and ageless. _Odango_, whose purity and undemanding love of all life was a never-ending source of both admiration and consternation. And Michiru. Elegant, beautiful, artistic. Like a dream. As much as she cared for the others, they all paled in comparison to her exquisite partner.   
Michiru had been the one to awaken Uranus to her destiny as a Sailor Soldier. She had been the one to instill in her the vibrance, the sense of duty, that came with their mission. Michiru had been her best friend, her sister, her soul mate. Uranus could not remember anything significant about her life before Michiru. She hadn't really started to live until Michiru had entered her world. And without Michiru, she would be dead anyway. Michiru had always been the truly strong one. Sure, Uranus had the ability to knock heads together. She'd always manhandled her way through every obstacle, fighting with her heart. She was angered too easily. She loved too easily. She startled too easily. She was like a raging tornado. Michiru was a glassy ocean, a foundation of calm and peace. And while Michiru wore her heart on her sleeve and kept her feelings separate from her work, Uranus had always hidden her emotions away, using her battles as an excuse to release them. She had never been strong enough to control them the way her partner did.   
Her head felt like it was made of lead, and she couldn't have opened her eyes now if she'd wanted to. She was sleepy. She couldn't even smell the exhaust now; she'd forgotten where she was, what she was doing and why she was doing it. She just wanted to sleep. As her conscious mind slowly drifted away, she remembered, somewhere in a deep part of her brain, that it was a holiday. "Happy Valentine's Day, Michiru," she mumbled wearily, and then everything was dark and quiet. 

Orion couldn't even see the car through the cloud of exhaust that billowed out to greet her when she kicked the door in. The wet towels on the floor had obstructed the door's regular operation, and Orion was in no mood to wait. The door came down and the thick black smoke came out, and she entered the small room. The roar from the racecar's engine was deafening; she could scarcely decide whether her hands were best employed over her eyes to shield them from the stinging exhaust, or over her ears to protect them from the brain-shaking noise. However when she reached the car, her dilemma was solved, as both hands were needed to open the door, unfasten the seatbelt, and pull Uranus' lifeless form from the front seat. Another mighty kick caved in the outer door, and Orion carried the unconscious soldier out into the fresh evening air.   
It was dark outside now, and the stars were shining brightly in this part of the city, where the lights of the major highways and motels were a good distance away. The garage was illumined with a soft glow as Sailor Orion summoned her music sphere.   
"Heavenly Symphony!" she sang softly, and the lighted sphere began to hum its sweet melody, pulsing to the rhythm as its cleansing power enveloped Uranus' body, purifying all traces of the poisonous exhaust from her heart, lungs and brain. Orion gazed down at the racer's lovely face with sadness. This was all her fault. This poor girl had suffered too much at her hands. Somehow she had to make it right.   
After a minute or two, the sphere had done its work, and Uranus' eyelids fluttered. Orion swallowed hard, knowing that the younger girl's reaction to her was not going to be good. Sure enough, when the gray eyes opened and focused on the Sacrificial Soldier, the first thing that came out of Uranus' mouth was a curse. It was followed by, "Not again."   
The Soldier of Earth propped herself up on her elbows and scooted backwards away from Sailor Orion. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded in a voice hoarse from exposure to the acrid smoke. "Can't you just leave me alone?" The old hate was back in full force, and Uranus would have attacked the taller girl except for one small problem; her body had taken so much punishment today that it would no longer obey her. She did not have the strength to use her legs. And once the initial burst of rage had passed, a despair set in that was even stronger than the fury. Uranus turned away, her muscles trembling. "Look, Orion. I'm trying to keep you safe. I'm trying to keep all the senshi safe from whatever monsterous thing I'm becoming. So please…get away from me. Leave me alone. You and your Guardians, all of you, just stay out of it and let me DIE!!"   
"Uranus, listen to me. You are not the monster. I am." Orion's silvery voice shook. "And I'm going to prove it to you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with you."   
Uranus, struck by the desperation in the other soldier's tone, turned to meet her eyes. "What do you mean?"   
Orion held out a gloved hand hesitantly. "Come with me, and I'll show you."   
Uranus' gaze traveled from the silver eyes to the outstretched fingers and back again. Deep inside the thought of even touching the other girl repulsed her; but the depression was too much. She had no reason to hate this girl, no reason not to trust her. Orion was offering a way out of this horrible circle of rage and hopelessness that she'd been locked into. For Michiru's sake, she couldn't just ignore it. Uranus gritted her teeth, and gripped the offered hand.   
Orion bit her lip, as the physical contact only served as a conduit for Uranus' roiling emotions. They were so frenzied and so full of suffering that she nearly cried out, but she clamped down on them, hard. This was not the time. With a nod, she lifted her opal bracelet, and the Music Sphere started to glow brightly again. This time, when she called on her Symphony power, the melody was different. Uranus recognized it, vaguely, and as the Sphere started to swell and grow bigger, she knew what was happening. They were going inside the Sphere, just as they had when Orion had explained to the Senshi about her past life as the Prince of Darkness. It meant that Orion was about to show her something concerning the past, and Uranus was certain that whatever it was, she wasn't going to like it.   
They found themselves standing in the middle of the sphere, and just as before it was as if they were somehow walking in the middle of space. Complete blackness surrounded them on all sides, peppered with tiny twinkling stars like little gemstones suspended in midair. It was particularly disconcerting to look down and find that the stars were below her feet as well as overhead, and Uranus turned to Orion.   
"Okay, we're here. Show me whatever it is." She couldn't keep the sharpness out of her tone, even though she tried. The girl disgusted her.   
Orion inclined her head. "Michiru wanted me to make you promise something first."   
Uranus' eyes narrowed. "You spoke with Michiru?"   
"She was worried about you."   
"Humph." She crossed her arms. "And exactly what promise does Michiru want me to make?"   
"Not to kill me, once you've seen what I'm going to show you."   
One blond eyebrow shot up. "It's that bad, huh?"   
The silver eyes were grave. "You have no idea."   
Uranus gave one of her sarcastic half smiles. "In that case," she smirked, raising her right hand and placing the other one exaggeratedly over her heart, "I do solemnly swear not to kill you after this." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Happy now?"   
Orion sighed. "Uranus, before you see this, I just want you to know something." She took a deep breath. "I am so, so sorry." Before Uranus could think of a reply, the colassal Sailor had turned and waved her hand, and the two were suddenly standing in the middle of a large field of brilliant green grass.   
Uranus' breath caught. The sky was bluer and brighter than any she'd ever seen before, so beautiful that she thought she might never tear her eyes away. But she did tear her eyes away, because she suddenly heard an oddly familiar voice. It was singing. She turned around, and there, sitting on a large rock, was a young girl.   
She had her back to them, but she was wearing a navy blue gown that looked as though it must have been expensive. It was oddly old-fashioned, with a laced bodice, off-the-shoulder sleeves, and a very long, full skirt. She had long sandy blond hair, and she was busily combing it while singing quietly in a very low, rich tenor that was surprising coming from such a dainty-looking girl.   
Uranus frowned, and leaned towards Orion. "Who is that?" she demanded.   
Orion smiled sadly. "You mean you don't know?"   
Uranus turned to look at the girl again, and this time, the girl twisted around to brush the other side. Her face came into view…high cheekbones, strong nose, delicate jawline and soft gray eyes. Uranus' mouth dropped open and she took a step backwards. "That's…" her eyes went from the girl's face to Orion's and back again in utter disbelief.   
"That's ME?!" 


	30. The Dark Prince's legacy! Memories of ho...

Part Thirty: The Dark Prince's legacy! Memories of horror 

  
The girl sitting on the rock held a strange sort of magnetism for Uranus. The senshi of earth knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was somehow, in some way, a true representation of a past self that she was only now beginning to remember. Yet it seemed nearly impossible. The person before her was too alien, too strange to be herself. There was a softness about her eyes and mouth that puzzled Uranus. She felt herself overcome by foreign emotion, whether as a recollected feeling or as the girl's aura it was hard to tell; but it was a feeling of superb gentleness and modesty, a sort of open vulnerability that made her warrior's heart cringe. How could she believe that she had ever been so delicate and weak?   
The girl was pretty, much prettier than Uranus would have ever considered herself. Her long, sand-gold hair streamed far past her shoulders, past her waist, and if she had been standing Uranus thought it probably would have flowed all the way to the backs of her knees. The eyes were a very familiar shade of gray, though they carried a much kinder, weaker look that made Uranus uncomfortable. The facial features were the same; high forehead, thick gold brows, straight little nose, delicately pointed jawline and chin, and full lips that curved upward at the corners. She was wearing a long navy gown of shiny material, with a simple heart-shaped neckline and narrow spaghetti straps. It looked like something Michiru would wear.   
A flood of emotion and thought flitted over Sailor Uranus' features as she stared at this apparition. This girl, who at some time must have been herself, was so different. So sweet, and fragile, and gentle. This girl was not a soldier, Uranus was certain. She was too soft. A strange sort of longing filled the senshi as she stared at her past self. That was the person she wanted to be. That girl would never have lost control of her temper as Uranus had. That girl would never hate the way Uranus hated. That girl would never have hurt her friends. Uranus wanted to be that girl.   
Yet, she WAS that girl, wasn't she? Or at least she had been. The field they were standing in, even the rock on which the girl was sitting, all looked familiar to her. It was like a nagging sense of déjà vu that Uranus just couldn't shake.   
The girl was singing, her voice low and rich and confident, and Uranus was a bit embarrassed. She didn't sing…did she? She'd never thought of herself as musical. That was Michiru's area of expertise, and she'd always considered her own musical abilities to be nonexistent. But hearing her voice from her past self's lips, she had to admit she didn't sound half bad. The song was familiar too, like the prick of a slivered memory that she felt certain she was supposed to know and yet couldn't for the life of her recall. And what about that hair? Uranus unconsciously brushed her own close-cropped bangs out of her eyes as she marveled at it. It was longer than Orion's, longer even than Rei and Minako's. It streamed in sandy golden waves all around the girl's shoulders and feet, and as she watched the girl began to gather the tresses and divide them, plaiting two thick blond braids over each shoulder. Uranus shook her head. What a waste of time. She'd kept her hair short for as long as she could remember. Long hair was an unneccesary frivolity.   
Uranus turned to look at Orion. "That's…that's ME?!!" But she already knew the answer.   
Orion's silver eyes were pinned intensely to the figure on the rock. But she nodded, and a wry smile quirked one corner of her mouth. "Yes. Or rather, that WAS you, over a thousand lifetimes ago. High Princess Uranus of the Seventh Planet, sworn defender of the outer solar system."   
Uranus shook her head. "That girl is no soldier." She turned to gaze at her again. "Look at her. She's so weak. She wouldn't last a second in battle."   
Orion laughed, a silvery tinkling giggle, and Uranus turned to look at her with irritation. Despite the mesmerizing effects of being within the Music Sphere, her deep-seated dislike of the Sacrificial Solder could not be utterly suppressed, and Uranus did not like being laughed at. But Orion composed herself after a moment. "I'm sorry, Uranus, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that…you almost sounded as if you admired her weakness."   
Uranus scowled, but as she replayed her own words in her head she couldn't help but blush a little. Orion was right. Her comment had been negative, but her tone had held a decided note of admiration. "I just…" She looked at the girl again. "Her life was so much simpler than mine. I guess I just wish I could be her again. That I could be that carefree and weak without having to worry about it. That girl over there wouldn't have done what I've done."   
Sailor Orion could hear the depression creeping into Uranus' voice again, and she shook her head. "You're mistaken, Uranus. That girl over there is indeed a soldier. In fact, she's the best Sailor Senshi in Queen Serenity's militia. Her life was much more complicated than yours is. Not only is she a soldier, she's also the princess of this planet." Orion raised her arm, indicating the surrounding fields. "Over six billion people live here, on Uranus, and that girl over there is responsible for the safety of all of them." Uranus caught the small break in the older senshi's voice as she said this. "In addition, she is a member of the outer planetary senshi, responsible for protecting the solar system from invaders."   
"But…" Uranus stared at the girl. "She's such a wimp."   
"Don't let the gown and hair fool you. Princess Uranus is the greatest leader and soldier that the Posiverse has ever known. Next to the Moon Princess, no one is more respected." Orion nodded slowly.The girl on the rock had finished one long braid, and was now working on the second one. Sailor Uranus lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "She doesn't look like a great soldier to me," she commented, but again the words seemed admiring rather than disparaging.   
"That's probably because today is her wedding day."   
"Her… What?!!" Uranus' jaw dropped and she stared at Orion.   
"Today is the day of her Bonding. It's the first Bonding she's made in all her lifetimes."   
Uranus could barely comprehend this. "But, who?" she demanded, looking around them as if at any moment to spy the face of some nameless spouse. "It couldn't be M--" she stopped herself, shaking her head. "I don't even like…" Again she paused, frustrated. "I'm not… I'm…"   
Orion nodded in understanding. "No, you're different now. But there was a time when you were married. You had a husband, and a son."   
"A husband?" Uranus choked. "Me?"   
"Yes."   
Uranus was silent for several long moments, digesting this. It seemed too bizarre to be real. _A husband. Yech._ "I just can't believe it," she said finally. "Me as the little wife. It's absurd."   
"It is now." There was sadness in Orion's voice. "I told you, Uranus, you have no idea how innocent you are in all of this. I changed you. The things that I did changed you. The light and joy and happiness you see in that girl…I stole them away."   
Uranus gazed at her past self. The face looked so content, so peaceful, as if she had an inner happiness that Uranus had never felt herself. For a moment a flash of jealousy went through her. It was obvious that she had been blissfully happy, once…happier than Uranus could even imagine herself, and she wondered why that had somehow disappeared between that lifetime and this. It was Orion's fault, or so the older girl claimed, and Uranus felt sparks of the old rage rising despite the Music Sphere's healing calm. She turned to look at Orion coolly. "How did you steal them?"   
The pale haired soldier bowed her head. "That's what you're about to remember." She took a deep breath. "Part of this will feel like a dream, and part of it like a memory. And partly, you'll feel like you're reliving it. I warn you, Uranus. This is going to hurt more than anything you've ever felt."   
Uranus snorted. "I was ready to kill myself. It couldn't possibly hurt more than…" she swallowed. "Than knowing that I nearly destroyed my friends." Michiru's face rose, unbidden, to her mind and her throat tightened. "Whatever pain you put me through, I deserve it."   
"No." Sailor Orion reached out and took her hand, holding it up between them with an earnesty that was almost disturbing. "You didn't deserve any of this. And once you've had to relive it, you'll curse me for reminding you. Please know that I would never awaken these memories if it wasn't necessary to save your life."   
Uranus shifted uncomfortably and pulled her hand away. "Whatever. Let's just do it, okay?"   
Orion nodded again. There was so much more she wanted to say, so many more apologies she wanted to make, but she couldn't get the words out without crying. Uranus didn't understand how hard this was going to be, and Orion longed to be able to really prepare her, before sending her into it. But there was really nothing more that she could say. She'd just have to get it over with, now, before she changed her mind and backed out of it. These secrets had lain buried for millennia. Reopening them now was a terrifying prospect. Gritting her teeth, Orion lifted one hand and waved it over the scene in front of them.   
Uranus felt as if she was being sucked into something; into a memory or another life that she couldn't remember. The colors of earth and sky spun around her, and she was dizzy. Orion had been right, it felt like entering a dream, or recalling a memory, but in such vivid colors and sensations that it was somehow real. She forgot who she was, or who she had been. She had no control; she was only…Uranus, Princess of the Seventh Planet. 

********** 

She looked up at the sound of her name. A younger girl was running towards her across the thick grass. A robust, spritely girl of about sixteen, Princess Anika's sandy blond hair and gray eyes were an exact match for her older sister's, but where Uranus was lean and slender, Anika was round and plump. Still, Anika was one of Uranus' favorite people. Always cheerful and optimistic, though perhaps a little shallow, Anika could be depended upon to lighten any mood and never failed to cheer every person within earshot.   
"Uranus! Uranus, come on, you're going to be late!"   
"Late?" Uranus pretended to ponder this. "Why? Is something important happening today?"   
Anika giggled and seized her sister's hand. "Silly. You know perfectly well that your Bonding ceremony is today. Gayen's already at the Hall, waiting for you. Come on!"   
Uranus smiled softly at the sound of Gayen's name. "Well, I wouldn't want to keep him waiting," she murmured, allowing Anika to pull her down from the rock.   
"I can't believe you're so calm about this, Uri," Anika bubbled. "I mean, on MY Bonding day I'll be a nervous wreck. Your hands aren't even shaking. And your Bonding is so much more serious than mine because Gayen's getting Eternal Rebirth today too. You guys will be Bonded like, for the rest of time!"   
Anika didn't realize that her chatter was not helping Uranus in her struggle to remain collected. The high princess was not half as composed as she seemed; in truth, her stomach was doing backflips. Uranus grinned, though, and picked up her skirts. "Race you," she declared, and took off running.   
"Hey, no fair," the younger princess protested, also drawing up her skirt to chase behind.   
The princesses loved to run. They had been racing one another since they were children, and despite the differences in their build they were both extremely quick. In fact, Uranus was one of the fastest runners on their world, and Anika could hold her own, most of the time. The difference however, was that running did not wind Uranus the way it did Anika, and Uranus knew that by the time they'd reached the Hall Anika would be too out of breath to offer any more commentary on her upcoming Bonding.   
The Hall was actually more of an enormous outdoor coliseum, encompassing a circle of ground big enough to fit a small village comfortably. The acscending rows of stone benches, arranged like wide, tall steps surrounding the center arena, towered almost impossibly far above the ground. There was enough room to seat almost one hundred thousand people, and every last seat was filled today. Every city and town on Uranus had sent at least one representative to witness the Bonding of the high princess; today would be special because it was not only the Bonding of a princess, it was a Sailor Soldier's first Bonding, which also meant an Eternal Rebirth ceremony. This was an event that occurred only once in several lifetimes, and many who could not find seats inside the coliseum had taken up postions on the grass outside, hoping to at least be able to hear something of what was happening inside.   
As if by some miracle, the crowds quieted. A teal-haired girl dressed in white had stepped onto the dais in the center of the arena, and seated herself at the harp in the corner. Everyone recognized her; High Princess Neptune of the Eighth Planet, also a Sailor Soldier, and a dear friend to their own beloved princess. It took scarcely thirty seconds for every one of the hundred thousand voices to quiet in anticipation.   
Neptune began to play, her fingers stroking the strings of the harp deftly, and every person rose to their feet to see the bride and groom entering from opposite sides of the arena, making their way through rows attendants throwing flowers. As they made their way to the dais, three figures materialized at the very center of it, in golden robes which hooded their faces. A ripple of excitement ran through the crowd. The Guardians of the Balance hadn't been seen in public for over three centuries.   
Uranus gulped as she accepted the attendant's hand to help her up the steps to the dais. Her eyes darted around, at the ocean of faceless people, so many and so far away that they all seemed to blend into one enormous, breathing organism with thousands and thousands of eyes. She felt the fluttering of panic in her stomach, and almost stumbled as she tried to force it down. It was too much attention for any one person and she was beginning to think she might be sick. She needed to see Gayen before she lost her nerve entirely. However it was not Gayen who caught her eye first; it was Neptune. The serene princess looked up from the harp and met her eyes with a smile of encouragement, and Uranus almost sighed audibly with relief. The support of her dearest friend bolstered her courage, and she was able to take the last few steps towards the waiting Guardians without losing track of her feet. Guardian Father, in the center, took a step backwards, his giant form casting a long shadow across the white marble of the dais, and there was Gayen.   
Her heart caught in her throat as she gazed at him, with the mixture of wonder and love and sudden vulnerability that he always seemed to spark in her. Uranus could still scarcely believe that he was able to evoke such a reaction. She'd never needed anyone before. She was perfectly happy alone, taking care of her sister soldiers and the people of her planet like any good ruler. She had Princess Neptune, her closest friend, closer even than a sister. And she had Princess Serenity of the Moon, the adorable woman-child who was the idol of Uranus' existence. Queen Serenity, the princess' mother, was in many ways like a mother to all of the senshi; and of course there were Uranus' own parents and her sister Anika. Uranus had been perfectly content, all alone.   
Then she met Gayen. Red haired and brown skinned, with warm golden eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light of their own, Gayen was unlike any person she'd ever met. He was a farmer, a strong, intelligent, sturdy young man, with an incongruous poetic streak and a love for the earth that was unparalleled. Uranus had struggled for years as to why she had been made Senshi of the realm of Earth; after all, it was the sky and the wind that she truly loved, and more than once had she envied the princess of Mercury for her realm of Air. She'd never been able to understand why the earth, an element directly opposite of the sky, should be the source of her power. She felt no particular connection to the earth until she'd met Gayen. It was as if he had awakened within her a sensitivity to her own realm that she'd never known before, because he loved it so much. At times it seemed that they shared an empathic connection; she could almost feel his reverence for her realm and it had given her a much deeper appreciation for her own power.   
Gayen embodied everything that was missing within Uranus. He had a sense of humor that was light and easy, contrasting with her own stiff sarcasm. He was slow tempered and patient, where she was always running at high emotional levels. He was earth, she was sky; and he grounded her, even more than Neptune's oceanic but unpredictable security. Uranus had fallen in love with Gayen slowly, without even realizing it; the two had been friends for what seemed like an eternity before one day meeting one another's gaze and knowing, just _knowing_, that their feelings for one another had changed.   
He held out a hand to her, and she took it, and the two of them were standing before the three Guardians. Gayen dropped to one knee before them, and Uranus offered a low curtsy; they were both bidden to rise and the ceremony began. The Guardians themselves were officiating the Bonding, as it was Uranus' first, in all her lifetimes, and therefore particularly special.   
The basic Bonding vows came first. "High Princess Uranus of the Seventh Planet, do you claim this man, Gayen of Uranus, as your partner in life, to share your home and heart with him for the rest of your days?"   
"I make this claim." Her voice, low as it was, shook a little, and she felt Gayen squeeze her hand gently.   
"Gayen of Uranus, do you claim this woman, the high princess of Uranus, as your partner in life, to share your home and heart with her for the rest of your days?"   
"I make this claim."   
The three nodded. Guardian Father moved forward. "Today is a very special day for all citizens of the Posiverse," he declared, the waterfall of his voice reverberating in the acoustics of the coliseum. "Since the Great Division, the Sailor Senshi have been born and reborn in order to preserve the Balance between dark and light in our worlds. Each of them, living an eternal cycle, has been given the right to choose for themselves an eternal soulmate to share this cycle with. Sailor Moon was the first, with her selection of a fellow Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen. Many of the others have followed." The audience nodded. They were already aware that Princess Mars' and Princess Mercury's Bonding ceremonies were set for some time the following year, and Princess Saturn (or rather, Queen Saturn, as she was older than the other Senshi at this point and had ruled Saturn alone for several centuries now) had just celebrated her 348th Bonding anniversary with her husband last month.   
"However, some of the Senshi have not yet met the one they would choose to share eternity with. I must admit I am surprised to see that Uranus is one of the first of these to bring her choice to us." Guardian Father chuckled a little, and Uranus had to smile at the gentle teasing. She had something of a reputation as a tomboy, and had never expressed much interest in men. Guardian Friend had told her once that it had been the same for every one of her past lifetimes. "However," Guardian Father continued kindly, "I think that she has made an excellent choice." He nodded towards Gayen. "You understand the ramifications of what you are undertaking today? By bonding with the Sailor Soldier of Uranus, you are accepting not only her hand in this lifetime, but in all lifetimes to follow. You will be reborn just as she is, and share her life as her soulmate for the rest of eternity."   
Gayen's eyes shone as he nodded. "An eternity could not be long enough, Guardian Father," he responded strongly, and he turned to lift Uranus' hand to his lips. Uranus blushed, but nodded in agreement. An eternity, spent with the one you love, still seemed too short.   
There was a smile in Guardian Father's voice then, as he removed the heavy ruby medallion from his neck. "Then I, Neophilus, Guardian Father of the Balance, do here endow you with Physical Life to remain a thousand years and be born again." He pressed the ruby to Gayen's forehead, and there was a flash of red light.   
Guardian Brother removed his own medallion, set with a large blue sapphire. "I, Demetrius, Guardian Brother of the Balance, do here endow you with Spiritual Life to remain a thousand years and be born again." The blue gem was pressed to Gayen's forehead, and now a flash of blue light was seen by every spectator. The audience was holding its breath as Guardian Friend moved forward, his own medallion already in hand.   
"I, Oberon, Guardian Friend of the Balance, do here endow you with Mental Life to remain a thousand years and be born again." The whispered tones echoed through the silent Hall with an eerie, magical effect, and he raised the large amethyst to press it to Gayen's head as the others had done. A flash of purple light followed, and once it faded the three Guardians stepped back.   
"It is done," they pronounced in unison.   
Uranus' heart leapt as Gayen leaned forward, and she felt the cool air on her neck as he lifted her hair to pin the Bonding ring to her left earlobe, as was the custom on her planet. The gold earring was a strange but welcome weight, and once it was in place she took the earring offered by her own attendant and fastened it to Gayen's ear as well.   
A cheer went up from the assembly; the Bonding was complete. Husband and wife embraced, and then turned to face the crowds and wave respectfully. It was a new life, for both of them. 

********** 

"Uranus!"   
Sailor Uranus instintively ducked at the warning, and Saturn's Silence Glaive swung out, over where her head had been, to strike down one of the demon creatures trying to creep up from behind. Uranus flashed a grin at Saturn. "Hey, watch it with that thing, sister. You cut one of my braids and I'll call you out."   
Sailor Saturn smiled in return, a much more reserved but nonetheless amused curve of the lips. "That would be interesting," she replied humorously, and leapt into the air as Uranus' Space Sword swung beneath her, effectively destroying yet another demon before it could attack. As Saturn landed, Uranus heard a light grunting off to the left.   
"Neptune!" She swung in the direction of the sound, slashing through the cluster of creatures bearing down on her friend, and offered a hand to the pretty Soldier of Water, who'd been knocked to the ground in the onslaught.   
"Thanks," Neptune acknowledged with a smile, and Uranus lifted an eyebrow.   
"No problem. How would it look if I let the godmother of my son get herself killed?"   
Neptune grinned in return and spun around, firing a stream of postive energy from her Submarine Mirror into another knot of approaching demonic creatures. "That reminds me…how are Gayen and Jutei? It's been a while since I last visited."   
"They're doing well," Uranus replied with a mother's pride as she finished off the last of the creatures with her sword. "Jutei's getting big so fast…I expect you to come to his first birthday party next week, by the way."   
"I wouldn't miss it."   
Uranus hissed between her teeth as one of the creatures seemed to drop right out of the sky on top of them. It sunk long claws into her shoulder, and she gave an angry cry as she twirled around and seized it in a chokehold. "All right, creep, this is getting old. Where is he?"   
The demon stared at her with bulging eyes, and Uranus tightened her grip. "Don't make me ask you again." After another second the creature seemed to decide that it would be wise to comply, and it pointed one long, twisted claw in the direction of the elaborate war tent on the other side of the battlefield. Uranus snorted. "Figures." She dropped the demon and stared at it. "It's up to you. Do you run away now and live, or do you stay here and let me kill you?" This time the creature didn't hesitate. Before Uranus could blink it was already disappearing into the bordering forest.   
She crossed the field and entered the war tent with no small amount of ingenuity and brute strength, but was not disappointed. The figure seated on the makeshift throne rose to greet her with a gallant sneer.   
"Well, well. Sailor Uranus, I presume. So nice to meet you; I was beginning to tire of waiting."   
Uranus scowled. "Sailor Orion."   
He bowed, his long black hair swinging forward, and his cape, which looked like a very long and full Sailor collar, billowed as he took a step forward. "I see my reputation precedes me."   
Uranus rolled her eyes. "Why are you attacking my planet?"   
The Sailor Constellation inspected his fingernails idly. "Why not?" he shot back. "You're here, I was bored…"   
Her face hardened. "I had no quarrel with you, Orion. But you show up and start murdering my people and you've created one. Get off my planet. Now."   
He lifted a dark brow, and a mocking smile floated over his lips. "But it's just starting to get interesting," he protested gleefully. When Uranus took a step forward, he clucked his tongue. "Ah, ah, Miss Uranus. You don't want to pick a fight with me."   
"You picked the fight," she replied icily. "I'm just accepting it on behalf of my people. You've spilled enough blood today." She held out her sword, and the blade glowed threateningly.   
Sailor Orion chuckled. "Well then, this should be fun." He made a deliberate show of removing his cape, and then bared his wrist. Uranus could see the stone set into the gold bracelet; a black opal, swirling with negative energy. The Orion Opal's power was legendary; only slightly less so than the Bloodstone, a stone whose evil power was the Negaverse's substitute for the Silver Crystal. The Bloodstone was held by the Avatar, and Sailor Orion was only the Avatar's son, so Uranus was not as concerned as she might have been. However, the Opal gave Orion a decisive advantage over her, so she chose to switch tactics.   
"I have a better idea," she declared, letting the Space Sword reabsorb into her body, and taking up a defensive martial stance instead. "No weapons. No powers. Just you and me."   
Orion nodded. "Now that's a challenge. Agreed." He unclasped the bracelet and tossed it to the side, and prepared his own stance. The two soldiers began to circle one another.   
A few test blows were delivered and dodged by each of them as they moved, experimenting with each other's strengths and weaknesses, trying to determine strategies based on what they could learn. Orion attacked first, feigning another test sweep but actually clipping Uranus' chin so that her head snapped back. She recovered quickly though, and dodged his follow-up strike with relative ease. Spinning on her heel she maneuvered herself behind him and landed an elbow sharply at the base of his neck, which threw him off balance. As he turned to face her, Uranus observed him warily.   
So this was Sailor Orion, Scourge of the Solar Planets. Uranus knew the history of the Great Division well from all their strategic meetings with the Guardians over the past year. Sailor Orion and his team of Sailor Constellations from the Negaverse had been attacking their solar system sporadically the last few months. The Planet Senshi knew that the Sailor Constellations were erecting a gate of some kind between the two universes, and they could judge by the slowly increasing size of the armies sent through the unfinished gate that it was progressing. Uranus didn't understand the man, or what he wanted from them. It was difficult to believe, just by looking at him, that he had once been a part of Sailor Moon; and it made her curious to know what her own counterpart must look like.   
Orion attacked her again, but she darted out of the way and shifted behind him once more. She couldn't resist a good hard kick to the seat of his pants as he went past, an insult that did not go unnoticed or unapppreciated. In fact, he spun around with a humorless grin and returned the kick, connecting with her midsection and knocking the wind out of her. She flew backwards and in an instant he was on top of her, one hand at her throat and the other gripping her jaw, preparing to break her neck. But he paused first, to smile at her.   
"A good fight, Miss Uranus. But it's over now." He tilted his head to the side. "One of my agents informed me that you have a family; a husband and son, am I right?" Uranus did not reply, but the narrowing of her eyes answered the question for her. Sailor Orion chuckled. "Such a shame. You should have brought them along…there's nothing more satisfying than killing an enemy in front of their family."   
"You would kill a Sailor Soldier?" Uranus asked, a bit stunned. They'd had run-ins with the Sailor Constellations before, but none of the Sailor Senshi on either side had ever been killed. The Sailor Planets had assumed a sort of unspoken agreement stood between them; Senshi didn't kill their own. There had been two occasions when one of the Constellations had been captured by the Sailor Planets, and they had always set them free. Uranus had never met any of them, but now, looking into the fathomless black eyes that loomed above her, she knew that there was no such agreement anywhere in sight from this man. He was a murderer.   
"I'm about to prove that right now," the Negaverse prince responded, tightening the pressure of his hands. But he didn't get the opportunity, because Uranus' knee came up abruptly into his back, and he was forced to release her.   
With the speed she was notorious for Uranus grabbed his arms and rolled, and in a split second it was Orion whose life was in danger, as Uranus pinned him to the ground with one leg and rested her forearm across his esophagus. "You were saying?" She leaned on the arm.   
For a minute his face darkened with anger. This little girl had got the best of him? That was impossible. He was twice her size, and much stronger. But struggle as he might, she had so cleverly tangled his arms and legs with her own that he could not move. It was ridiculous, and the more he fought her the bigger her grin got. Despite the lack of oxygen, he managed a bitter laugh. "You won't kill me. Your kind doesn't kill."   
Uranus nodded. "That's true. But in your case it's a necessary evil. If I let you go your creatures will continue doing harm to my people, and you'll only return to kill me and my friends." The weight against his throat increased, stubbornly, and for the first time Sailor Orion recognized the look in her eyes and was impressed. She was going to do it. The little brat was really going to kill him, and there was nothing he could do about it.   
Sailor Uranus was surprised by the sudden look of…respect? that appeared in the suffocating prince's eyes as his face grew bluer and bluer. It was as if he was daring her to do it, and at the same time, in a strange way, applauding her for having the guts. The last word to escape his lips before the air in his lungs was utterly gone, was in a long, slow gasp. "Magnificent."   
She stared at him. Magnificent? This was magnificent? She was taking his life. She was killing a living being, and more than that, a Sailor Soldier. And he thought she was magnificent. Receiving the praise of an evil man was worse than being insulted by a good one. Uranus tried to imagine what Sailor Moon would do if she were here, and in an instant she'd made her decision. She drew her arm back. An expression akin to disappointment filled his face as he took in a painful rush of air.   
Uranus shook her head. "You're right. I have a husband, and a son. What kind of legacy would I be leaving him if I were to become no better than you?"   
Orion sat up, rubbing his neck and glaring at her. "And here I thought you might be different," he growled. "But no, you're just like the rest of them…soft and mushy and disgusting."   
Uranus summoned her sword again, and pointed the blade at him. "Don't get me wrong," she declared with a quiet, superior smile. "I will kill you if you give me no other choice. I defeated you, Orion. I want you and your creatures off my planet right now."   
Sailor Orion stood up gingerly, careful of the curved edge directed at his neck. "You're letting me go?" At her nod, he grunted. "You shouldn't."   
"This is my planet and I shall do as I choose." She was still grinning haughtily at him.   
Another growl erupted from his throat, and he bared his teeth. "You think you're someone important just because you caught me at a bad moment, Uranus? You're a fool. You won't get an opportunity like that again." The black eyes narrowed until they were barely slits. "I'm coming back for you, Uranus. I'm going to wipe that smile right off your face, you'll see. When I'm through with you you'll never smile again." He exposed the black opal at his wrist and pressed it, and in a moment he had vanished, along with his fancy war tent and all the demons.   
Neptune came running up to her from across the field, and Uranus surveyed the wreckage with tears in her eyes. The field was littered with the forms of dead soldiers…her soldiers. And for what? So that Sailor Orion could alleviate a little boredom? The tears fell from her eyes as Neptune reached her, and without a word her friend pulled her into a tight embrace. "It's all right, Uri. It's all right."   
But it wasn't all right. Uranus was already beginning to regret her decision to let Orion go. Those soldiers…a few years from now one of those might be Jutei. All the men who had died here today under her command had mothers, and fathers, and wives and children of their own. She'd just allowed their murderer to walk free. She burst into tears on her friend's shoulder. 

********** 

"Jutei, lunch!" Uranus stood in the door of the ranch house brushing flour from her hands, and watching her five year old son playing with his little friends. His shiny red curls glowed in the sunlight, and at her call he turned to wave at her. She waved back, and observed with a smile as he took leave of his playmates and came running towards the house.   
"Go wash your hands and face," she told him with a smile, and the little boy flashed a million-watt grin before trotting off to obey.   
Uranus felt hands at her waist, and in a moment Gayen had wrapped his arms around her from behind. He nuzzled her ear affectionately, and she laughed. "You have to wash up too, mister. You're all sweaty."   
Her tall husband chuckled and turned her to face him, and kissed her soundly. "Tell you what," he mumbled in between kisses, "tomorrow I'll make lunch and you can plow the cornfield."   
"Deal," she answered glibly, returning his kiss.   
"Mama!" The two separated and turned to look at their son, who had returned from the washroom freshly scrubbed and was making a face at them.   
Uranus giggled. "I know, Jutei. You think kissing is yucky." She moved to scoop the child into her arms and planted a big kiss on one round, freckled cheek. "Take that."   
Jutei gave a delighted shriek of indignation, and Gayen snuck up on the side to kiss the boy's other cheek, and steal another peck from his wife's lips before heading for the washroom himself. Just as the small family was settled at the table, however, a frantic pounding came at the door.   
It was Sailor Mercury. Uranus immediately tensed as her friend and sister soldier seized her arm. "Uranus, it's the Sailor Constellations. They're attacking Neptune."   
That was all that needed to be said. Uranus gave a quick nod, and Gayen was already on his feet. He tugged at one of her braids playfully to get her attention, but was very serious as he hugged and kissed her. His wife was a princess and soldier, and he knew the risks she took every time she was called upon to defend their planets. He was proud of her, but at the same time very aware that her responsibilities were heavy and dangerous.   
"I love you, Uri," he said quietly. "Be careful."   
"Always." She took a moment to hug Jurai as well. "Look after Papa for me," she said to the child, who nodded gravely, and then she turned back to Sailor Mercury, her transformation pen already in hand. "Let's go."   
Gayen held Jurei up and both waved as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Mercury joined two of the other senshi at the top of the hill. The women joined hands, and in a flash they had teleported themselves to the battle. Gayen put Jurei down so that the boy could go back to the table and finish his lunch, but he remained at the door for a few more minutes.   
It was not easy having a Sailor Senshi for a wife. He wasn't sure which was more difficult, being part of the seventh planet's royal family or being husband to one of the legendary Sailor Soldiers. He loved Uranus more than life itself, but it was hard being expected to appear at all the fancy royal functions and state meetings because of his wife's privileged status. Still, he was fortunate that Uranus held about the same opinion of formal banquets and audiences as he did; living on this large farm had been her idea, a way to escape from the stiff requirements of court. He was relieved that they could raise Jurei in a much quieter, simpler environment.   
He turned to go back inside, but spun back around as a shimmering in the air caught his eye. For a moment he thought that Uranus might be returning, as the space at the top of the hill parted in a fissure, but it took only a second to realize that it was certainly not his wife. The man that stepped through that opening was a Sailor Constellation.   
Gayen recognized the long Sailor cape and tie, and the wild dark hair and black eyes were enough for him to be able to identify Sailor Orion from Uranus' description of him. Gayen took a step forward, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. "Sailor Orion. Aren't you on the wrong planet? The battle is on Neptune." There was an easy grin on his face.   
The pitch black eyes narrowed. "Which is why I'm here." The grating, inhuman voice sent chills up Gayen's spine. "I warned that little Sailor brat that I was returning for her. But I've decided I don't want to kill her."   
"Oh?"   
"There are things much worse than death." A slow, sadistic smile curved his lips, and from behind his back he produced a contraption that was unlike anything Gayen had ever seen; it looked like a small cannon, with a long narrow barrel and a strange glass cartridge filled with red liquid at the back. Sailor Orion patted the thing almost affectionately. "Meet my newest invention. The Soul Dissolver. This beauty is the first and only weapon of its kind; a genuine Sailor Senshi killer. One shot, and even the immortal Senshi soul dissolves-- poof!-- never to return. I was going to test it on your precious wife, but now I have a better idea." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Gayen found himself standing in the middle of his front yard. Jutei was clinging to his leg, and with shock he realized that his sister-in-law, Princess Anika, and her parents the king and queen were all standing beside him, looking around themselves in confusion. When Anika recognized the Prince of Darkness, she gave a whimper and buried her face in her father's shoulder.   
"What's the meaning of this?" the king demanded, putting one arm around his frightened daughter and using the other to draw his queen in protectively. "Sailor Uranus is not here." He met Gayen's eyes questioningly, but the young man shook his head. He didn't understand what Orion wanted either.   
"I'm not looking for Sailor Uranus." The Sailor Soldier rolled his eyes. "You people are a blight on her magnificence, you know. I'm doing her a favor. If it weren't for you she'd be a real warrior." He paused for a moment. "In fact, it's this entire planet. She's so busy protecting the interests of her precious planet that she can't be what she's meant to be. So I'm going to liberate her of the responsibility." His eyes traveled over Gayen with disgust. "So you're the fop she married, eh? And I suppose that means the two of you have been," and here he fluttered his eyelashes and raised his tone to a mocking feminine trill, "bonded into eternal bliss." His voice returned to a deadly calm as he sneered at Gayen. "Well, the honeymoon's over." The air filled with an ominous humming, and a large black sphere floated up over Sailor Orion's shoulder and into view. "My Music Sphere will amplify the Soul Dissolver's strength a thousandfold. How many people live on this pitiful planet? Six billion or so? It hardly seems enough, but I suppose it will have to do." The humming intensified into a dark melody, and Orion lifted 

_Can't run from the darkness, no way you would make it_   
_Can't fight for the life you prize when I choose to take it_   
_Can't hope for a rescue, no one's going to try_   
_Can't hide from my power, but all of you can die_

_Black - It's the color of your destiny_   
_Black - From now on it's the only thing you'll ever see_   
_Black - Covers everything you say and do_   
_Black - It's the soul that's taking yours from you_

_Can't wake from the nightmare, there's no place to go_   
_Can't beg me for mercy, I have none to show_   
_Can't flatter my ego, I'm my own biggest fan_   
_Can't ask for a reason, I kill because I can_

_Black - It's the color of your destiny_   
_Black - From now on it's the only thing you'll ever see_   
_Black - Covers everything you say and do_   
_Black - It's the soul that's taking yours from you_

_Your light will be broken in one glorious attack_   
_The Prince of Darkness comes, and where he is there's only black_   
_The Prince of Darkness comes and where he is there's only black_

the Soul Dissolver. Gayen lifted Jurei into his arms comfortingly as the Music Sphere positioned itself in front of the tip of the weapon. Orion called out "Orion Opal Power!" and the sphere's melody swelled until it seemed that the entire valley must be able to hear it. In a cold, gleeful voice, Orion began to sing. 

_"__."_

On the last word, it seemed as if the entire planet must be vibrating with wave after wave of evil power. Jurei gave a little cry and clung to Gayen, who could do nothing but watch as Sailor Orion pulled the trigger of the Soul Dissolver. A beam of hideous scarlet light shot into the Music Sphere, which began to glow red hot like molten lead. The light exploded from the Sphere in flames.   
Jurei was the first to be taken. Gayen felt the boy pulled from his arms, and screamed his son's name as the fiery red curls disappeared behind a wall of flames. He could hear the boy's screams of agony as the fire licked the skin from his bones, and a moment later there was another much higher scream as the Princess Anika and her parents were sucked in as well. The air filled with the sweet stench of burning flesh, and Gayen watched in horror as the flames engulfed their home, and the fields, and the barn, almost faster than he could blink. Yet they hadn't taken him yet…and they did not stop. It seemed as if he could hear screams from everywhere now; the cruel, insatiable fire spread with an impossible speed, and within seconds the entire planet was burning.   
Gayen could feel the fire inside of him, crackling and searing, as if the suffering of his planet was manifested in his own body. They were dying…his people were dying. Six billion lives, all crying out in pain. The blistering heat parched his lips, scorched his eyes, enveloped his body inside and out until he felt like he must have exploded. He was being torn apart, his very soul was dissolving, just as Orion had promised, and now he could not tell if the screaming he heard was from others' throats or his own. Perhaps it was all the same. Perhaps they were all one living, breathing planet, and the planet itself was crying out.   
He could not see Sailor Orion anymore. He couldn't see anything but red, and he wondered if it meant that his eyes had been burned away. Visions of Jurei's terrorized, blistering face, the last distinct thing he had seen, danced in front of him until he wasn't sure if he was seeing it with his eyes or his tortured mind. The pain was everywhere now, inside, outside, in everything, and it was with a vague sense of relief that he finally felt a jerk of release. He was leaving, rising above it, floating above the flames, and now he could see in a strange dreamlike way that the entire planet of Uranus was indeed burning, a spectacular, horrible sight. He was falling apart, separating, diminishing slowly in a shower of red glittery sparks. The last conscious thought he had was of Uranus' face, the day they had been Bonded. She was so beautiful, his wife. At least he'd been able to say goodbye. The scarlet faded to black, and then Gayen was gone. He would not be reborn.   
The fire that had consumed the planet faded as quickly as it had spread. The silence that followed was absolute. There was nothing left but the scorched black earth, a lump of ashes and carbon spinning through space. And then another cry broke the silence; the cry of a woman.   
Uranus fell to her knees on the smoldering ground overlooking the valley where, only a few minutes before, she had bid farewell to her husband and son. It was gone. They were all dead, and there was nothing left for her. The fire had come and taken her planet, and left her behind…she was alone. The sobs racked her body until there were no tears left.   
"You're free now."   
Uranus' head snapped up to see Sailor Orion striding towards her over the charred earth, smiling pleasantly. The soot had streaked her face until it was almost black. "What have you done?" she croaked out, using her sword to rise to her feet. "Why?"   
He tilted his head to the side. "You should thank me. Now that they're gone, you can be the warrior you're destined to be. You're the only one, Uranus…the only one of these pitiful Sailor Planets with the real essence of a soldier. Come with me, to the Negaverse. Become what you were meant to be."   
She gazed at him with a blank expression. "You want me to be a soldier?" she inquired flatly. "I'll be a soldier." She raised her sword and aimed at her own neck. Sailor Orion winced as the blade sang through the air, but when he looked he realized that she had not killed herself; instead, one of the long, glorious gold braids lay in a pile on the ground. He blinked in surprise as she severed the other braid, so that nothing was left of her hair but a short, frenzied boy-cut. Her face was impassive now. Passionless. "I wouldn't go with you for anything in the world. Not even if it would bring them back." The sudden lifelessness in the gray eyes confused him, and he took a step back.   
"I…" he looked around at the world he had just demolished, and for the first time the arrogant expression was replaced by one of uncertainty. "I just thought…" Another look at the pretty deadened features only served to amplify the strange feelings coursing through him, and he staggered back another step, turning in a stumbling circle and shaking his head. "I didn't mean to…" Finally, in a dazed sort of confusion, he raised his wrist, pressed the black stone on his bracelet, and disappeared.   
Sailor Uranus turned to survey the wreckage of her home. No more tears rose to her eyes; she had none left to give. As she stood there numbly on the edge of that cliff, she swore two promises to herself. First, she would repay Orion for what he had done, if it took the rest of eternity. And second, she would never again give him the satifaction of seeing her cry; for as long as she lived she would never shed another tear. 


	31. Orion must die! Vengeance for the dead

Part Thirty-One: Orion must die! Vengeance for the dead

When Uranus looked up, she found herself kneeling on the asphalt outside the racing garage. The shock of what she had just remembered shook her so badly that she could scarcely remember how to control her own body; her arms were wrapped around her stomach and she hugged herself tightly, trying to contain the pain, and the memories. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings; the cool night air against her bare arms and legs, the faint, sweet, smoky smell of the residual exhaust still clearing from the garage, and a presence at her back that made her skin crawl.   
With trembling muscles she stood up, arms still wrapped protectively around her middle. She felt like crying and screaming and tearing her hair out all at the same time, and a slight breeze that ruffled her bangs reminded her that she had already essentially done the latter, hundreds of lifetimes ago. She could remember it all now, as clearly as if the destruction of her planet and family had taken place only last week. Now she understood what Orion had meant when she'd said this would hurt more than anything she'd ever felt; even the thought of what she had done to Usagi no longer pained her as much as the loss and terror eating through her insides. The thought of Orion reminded her, unpleasantly, that the tall senshi was still there, behind her, standing at her back. She could feel the silver eyes penetrating the back of her head and she didn't dare turn around.   
The rage was back. The hate was back. And if Uranus had thought it was powerful before, it was ten times so now. And she didn't bother to try and fight it back. Why should she? Orion deserved to die. Orion deserved eternal death, eternal torture, eternal damnation to hell for what she had done. No death could ever be enough, actually. No pain could ever be enough to make up for the six billion lives, the children and husbands and wives and friends and sisters and brothers and parents that had been annihilated. And nothing could ever achieve vengeance for the eternal death of Gayen. Gayen was supposed to be her soulmate, her reborn life partner for the rest of eternity. He was supposed to be immortal, just like her. And Orion had stolen him away, destroyed him not only once but infinite times, because he would never come back. He was lost forever and Uranus would spend the rest of eternity alone because of that one day millennia ago when Orion dissolved his soul.   
But Uranus remembered her promise. Her body was shaking so badly that she could barely maintain her balance, and when she spoke her voice was heavy with emotion.   
"Be glad you made me swear not to kill you, Orion," she breathed dangerously, not turning around. If she caught sight of that pretty little face she would be unable to control the fury gripping her heart. "I will walk away this time, but I swear something else to you now. If I ever see you again, you will die."   
Sailor Orion nodded, tears on her cheeks, but she did not speak. Uranus was too close to the edge; any sound from her would be too much. Without another word, and without looking back, Uranus strode away, stubbornly forcing her quivering body to respond. She had to get away before she exploded. She had to keep her promise, for Michiru's sake. She needed to regain control. There would be time for revenge.   
Centauri approached Orion cautiously, and nudged her hand with his nose. She snatched it away. "Don't, Centauri. Don't touch me right now."   
The golden retriever gazed up at his mistress sadly. He knew how much sharing the memories had cost her; knew that for her, it was happening all over again. The last time, it had transformed Orion into a different person, causing the Prince of Darkness to question everything he existed for. Heaven only knew what it would do to Shinzui this time around.

**********

"Oh my god." Guardian Father gazed down at the pages of the Book of Balance in shock. "What has she done?"   
Guardian Friend could not reply. He just shook his head from side to side in stunned silence. This was completely unexpected. The memories of the Prince of Darkness' destruction and genocide had gone buried for millennia; ever since the end of that cycle of lifetimes no one but Orion herself had been able to remember the event. The Guardians had mutually agreed it was better that way; no one needed to have to relive those memories. It was in the past, over and done with, and could not be taken back. Of all people, Orion herself would be the last person to want that pain reopened. And yet she had done just that, to the one person she'd hurt the most.    
Guardian Father rubbed his temples. "Uranus changed so much after that. She cut her hair, always wore it short. Became so cold, so hard, it was almost like a reflection of Orion himself. She forgot how to love. If it hadn't been for Neptune she would have forgotten everything." He sighed. "It's taken hundreds of lifetimes, thousands of years, and the infinitely patient love of Sailor Moon and the other senshi to allow her to finally begin to soften again. The past few years have been some of the best she's had in centuries…it seemed like Neptune was finally getting through to her again, and she was remembering gentleness...and now this."   
Guardian Friend traced the image on the page, of Uranus' retreat across the racetrack. "She was so close, Neophilus," he whispered sadly. "So close to forgiveness. And now everything must start over."   
"Maybe it's not so bad," Guardian Brother offered, though his tone was as dismal as the others'. "The Sacred Child knows what she's doing. She wouldn't have reopened the past if she didn't think it was absolutely necessary."   
Something in the younger man's voice raised Neophilus' suspicion, and he stared at Demetrius quizzically. "You knew she was going to do this, didn't you?" he said quietly.   
Guardian Brother flushed and lowered his head, but nodded. "Yes. She told me."   
"And you didn't tell us." Oberon reproached.   
"She asked me not to."   
Guardian Father sighed again. "Demetrius, we know you love the Child. But she is not perfect, and you know it. She makes mistakes. And she's made a big one today." He looked back down at the glowing pages. "She's just destroyed millennia of development and work."   
"But Uranus was going to kill herself," Demetrius protested. "I had to stop her twice, and if the Child had not arrived when she did it would have been a third time. The Child told me that it was the only way to ease Uranus' suffering."   
"You cannot ease suffering by adding more to it," Guardian Friend pointed out flatly. "Uranus' pain has not been eased, only redirected. Now the Child has even more to bear."   
Guardian Father nodded. "If Uranus had succeeded in her suicide attempt, it would not have been the end of the world. She would be reborn eventually. That would have been preferable to this." The powerful voice was glum.   
Demetrius sank down in a chair at the library table. "I know." His voice was despondent. For a few moments the Celestial Hall library was silent as each of the Guardians pondered this latest turn of events. Finally Guardian Brother shook his head. "So what are we going to do?"   
"That would seem to be the question," Guardian Friend responded darkly. "What can we do? We must not ask Pluto to break her vows at the Time Gate. We dare not. Everything happens for a reason, and this cycle…"   
"Is dangerously different," Guardian Father finished for him with a nod. "So many things, large and small, are changing this time around. If there is a purpose to it we cannot intervene."   
"What if that purpose means the destruction of the Posiverse?" Demetrius inquired. "Surely we can't stand by and blindly allow everything we have fought to protect to be destroyed."   
Oberon closed the Book with a soft thud. "We are Guardians, my friends. Not gods. There is a force greater than we are; we are merely the instruments of destiny. If the world as we know it is to come to an end, no amount of effort on our part will be effectual in stopping it."   
Guardian Brother stared at him. "So what your saying is that there's nothing we can do."   
Neophilus clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Without knowing what we're doing…no. There's nothing we can do."   
An unsettling quiet filled the library as each Guardian of the Balance became absorbed in his own disturbed thoughts.

**********

Michiru opened the door, and opened her arms. Haruka fell into them without a word, and for several moments they stood as if turned to stone. Warm tears soaked the racer's hair and neck as Michiru held her, squeezing almost a little too tightly. The whiteness of Haruka's face, the agonized gray eyes, were enough for Michiru to know that Orion had succeeded in her intent to remind her of the past; Michiru herself was having a difficult time accepting it, and she knew that her partner would be experiencing the memories with far more intensity. She'd almost lost Haruka, and at the same time felt like blessing and cursing Orion for what she had done. Obviously the plan had worked; Haruka was here, in her arms, instead of in a coffin. But the suffering she had glimpsed on the other young woman's face was enough to break her heart.    
The sandy-haired racer leaned on her, limply, and Michiru had never sensed so much sorrow and loss from her partner before. Shinzui had warned her that the truth would wound Haruka more deeply than any of them could imagine, but the reality of that pain was so much more powerful than the warning. Michiru had thought she was prepared for this; but as she supported the taller girl she realized that she hadn't expected it to hurt this much. When Haruka suffered, so did she.   
Michiru lifted one hand to run it through her partner's hair, softly, and pressed a kiss to the clammy temple. With one arm, she pushed the door shut, and half-carried Haruka over to the couch. She sat down at one corner, pulling Haruka down towards her, and the racer laid her head in Michiru's lap wearily. In a moment, she was asleep.   
Michiru sat silently, stroking the soft sandy hair. Haruka had been awake for more than twenty-four hours straight, and they were probably the most tumultuous twenty-four hours of her life. In the space of a day she had nearly killed Usagi, Orion and Neptune; she had jumped from a sixty-story building, defeated a _jaki_ entirely on her own and tried to suffocate herself in a garage. And as if that weren't enough, she'd just been transported approximately one million years back in time to be reminded of a family she had forgotten, and a planet that had been destroyed. The poor girl needed sleep.   
Absentmindedly her fingers strayed over the single gold hoop that Haruka always wore in her right ear. She remembered all the times she'd teased her partner for what seemed like a silly fetish; and all the times that Haruka had laughed and teased right back, even though she didn't really understand it herself. Now it made sense. Shinzui had told her about the Bonding ceremony with Gayen, about how the earring was, in Uranian culture, the equivalent of a wedding ring. Michiru didn't have any direct memories of the ceremony, though Shinzui had said that she had been present. She didn't remember Gayen or Jutei either, but found herself wondering what they would have looked like, this family that had claimed Haruka's heart. She had to smile at herself as a flash of jealousy went through her. Here it was, thousands of lifetimes later, and even though the people themselves had been forgotten Haruka still wore the Bonding ring. Michiru wondered if Haruka would remember _her_ with such fondness, if something ever happened to her.   
Her turquoise eyes washed over the features of her friend, the small, straight nose and delicate jawline, the strength and sensuality of the lips. With her eyes closed, there was something incongruously childlike about the tough soldier that tugged at Michiru's heart.   
"What would I do without you, hmm?" she whispered tenderly. "Why do you always have to be the strong one? Maybe, for once, you should let me take care of you."   
Michiru had no idea how long she sat there with the sleeping racer in her lap. It had been long past midnight when Haruka had returned to their apartment, and the morning sun had risen and brightened by the time that a knock on the door disturbed both girls.   
Haruka stirred and blinked sleepily, and Michiru found herself wishing that whoever was at the door would go away for a while. Her partner still needed more sleep. However, the person at the door seemed to have no intention of going away, as a second knock followed the first, this time louder and more energetic. Haruka was awake now, and sat up dazedly. Michiru sighed and, after making sure Haruka was all right, rose to answer the persistent knocking.   
She immediately understood the reason for it as Usagi burst into the room, worry written all over the pretty face. "Where is she? Haruka-san!" The tiny Sailor leader, one arm wrapped and in a sling, launched herself at the still-waking racer with very little regard for her healing arm. She sprang into Haruka's lap with a boldness that startled both of the older girls, and threw her good arm around Haruka's neck fiercely. "You're not dead! I'm so glad you're not dead. Rei-chan said you jumped off the roof…" The blond girl began to wail. "You can't do that, Haruka-san, I won't let you. If you're dead then no one will take me out for ice cream or play games at the arcade or give me rides in your car or call me _odango_…" She burst into tears then, clinging to Haruka's neck. "It was an accident!"    
Haruka met Michiru's eyes with surprise, and Michiru tried to stifle a giggle. The surprise melted into amusement and she awkwardly patted the shoulder of the hysterical girl in her lap until Usagi ceased her howling. The Sailor leader pulled back to glare at Haruka with brilliant blue eyes. "Don't ever do that again," she warned vehemently. "I don't care if you break both my arms, don't you ever try to get yourself killed again, or I'll…" She paused. "I'll…" Haruka lifted an eyebrow quizzically, and Usagi scowled petulantly. "I'll kill you myself."   
Michiru raised a hand to her mouth to hold back the laughter that rose with this final nonsensical declaration, and Haruka, too, had to take a moment before replying to avoid chuckling. She composed her face, with a little difficulty, and managed to respond in a serious tone. "You have my word, Princess."   
Usagi nodded with satisfaction. Haruka's amusement dissipated a little, though, as she caught sight of the sling around the smaller girl's neck. "Your arm," she said hesitantly. "How is it?"   
Usagi shrugged. "Doesn't hurt," she answered. "Shinzui-san's been fixing it with her Music Sphere. And Demetrius-sama says that I was very brave." She grinned proudly. "See what he gave me?" With a happy giggle, she brandished a yellow lollipop under Haruka's nose. "He says my arm should be good as new by tomorrow."    
Despite the flashes of guilt, Haruka had to return the grin. "I'm glad," she replied. "And…" she took a breath. "I'm so sorry, _odango_. I never meant to hurt you."   
The blond girl nodded. "I know that, silly. You'd never hurt me." She gave the racer another abrupt, choking hug. "It was an accident, that's all."   
_It was a little more than that,_ Haruka mused, but looking at the delighted, tearstained face of her little princess she would not argue. Usagi would be all right. Just knowing that made her feel better. As far as Usagi was concerned, the entire event had been forgiven and forgotten; Haruka would never be able to forget, but it felt good to know she had forgiveness. From both of them. She met Michiru's eyes again, and this time a message of gratitude that needed no words flowed between the two.   
Michiru sighed with relief, watching her partner with their beloved leader. Usagi's presence was like magic; it always had been. Something about the lively younger girl seemed to bring out the best in Haruka, a maternal side that Michiru had always found amusing. Now that she knew the story of Haruka's lost family, that maternal instinct did not seem so strange anymore. But seeing the two of them together, Michiru was reassured. Haruka was going to be all right. The tenderness with which her partner responded to the excited, hyper girl in her lap only reinforced the assertions she had made to Shinzui the day before. Haruka was not incapable of forgiveness. She was a better person than that.   
Usagi was chattering enthusiastically. "Everybody wants to know if you want to come on a picnic with us today, Haruka-san. And Michiru-san too. They all want to see you to make sure you're okay. You gotta come, you just gotta. Mako-chan's cooking and Ami-chan even promised not to bring any schoolbooks. It'll be lots of fun." She paused to gaze at Haruka expectantly, and as an afterthought, added, "Shinzui-san won't be there."   
Haruka's eyes darkened at the name. She exchanged glances with Michiru, and then smiled, a little forcibly. "Sure, we'll come. We'll meet you there."   
There came a squeal of happiness and another violent hug. Usagi sprang off the racer's lap and did a little dance in place. "Yay! We're all meeting in the park in an hour, okay? I'm gonna go get the cookies Mom's making before Chibiusa-chan eats them all." The little blond made a determined fist, giggled, and dashed out the apartment door. A second later, her head popped back around the doorframe. "Bye!" she called, and then they heard her scampering down the hall.   
Michiru and Haruka looked at one another and laughed, and Michiru shut the door. She moved back to the couch and perched herself on one arm, looking down at her partner fondly. She reached out and rubbed Haruka's strong shoulders. "So," she began, her voice growing more reserved. "Are you going to tell me about it?"   
Haruka blinked, remembering the events of the night before, and a shadow crossed her face. "Orion said she already told you."   
Michiru nodded. "She told me about your family, and what happened to Uranus…" she felt the muscles under her fingers tense at the reminder, and she caressed them soothingly. "She said she was going to take you into the Music Sphere and show it to you."   
"She did." The rich, low voice was sad now. "I saw them, Michiru. Gayen and Jutei and Anika…I had a sister, did you know that? A sister. And my parents. And Gayen…" She broke off, and took a second to breathe. "I loved him, Michiru. I would never have thought it possible, but I loved him. We were supposed to be together forever." Her gray eyes swam with confusion. "I had a husband, and a son. A family. Do you know how long it's been since I've had a family?" The hands on her shoulders squeezed sympathetically, and now Haruka shrugged them away with frustration, and stood up. "Orion decided he had the right to play God with my life. With all their lives. You should have heard him, Michiru, you should have heard what he said to me. He said I ought to thank him for eliminating my weaknesses." Haruka gave short, barking laugh. "I'll thank him all right."   
"What do you mean?"    
Haruka caught sight of the blue and gold valentine laying on the coffee table, the one that Shinzui had sent to her the day before. Deliberately she picked it up, and with a slow, measured motion, she tore the paper heart in half. Glitter fell in a shimmering shower onto the carpet. When she turned to face Michiru again, the steely coldness in her gray eyes was her answer. The teal-haired girl shook her head. "No, Haruka, that's not going to solve anything."   
A bitter laugh was the response. "You were right, you know, to have Orion make me promise not to kill her afterwards. If it hadn't been for that I would have torn her throat out right there. But I told her if I ever saw her face again I'd kill her."   
"Haruka, you didn't."   
"I did. And I meant it." She leveled her gaze at her beautiful partner. "Orion deserves to die for what she's done, Michiru. I swore a long time ago I would repay her. It's a promise I intend to keep." Michiru was gazing at her sorrowfully, but Haruka would not be moved. "They were my responsibility, you know. My parents, my sister, my family, my people. Six billion souls depending on me for protection and safety. I failed them all once. I won't fail them again. There must be vengeance for the dead."   
"I believe it was Ghandi who said that an eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind." Michiru's reply was gentle.    
Haruka stared at her for a moment. "Interesting choice of words, isn't it?" she asked pointedly. "Wonder what Ghandi would think if he knew that the man who dissolved the souls of an entire planet had been reborn as a blind girl." She shook her sandy waves. "Michiru, I'm only telling you this because if and when the time comes, I want you out of the way." Her eyes clouded. "And I want you to keep the others out of the way. I might not be able to recognize you, if the rage takes over like…" the strong voice faltered, but only for a moment. "Like last time."   
The room was silent for a moment. Michiru couldn't help feeling disappointed. Haruka wasn't as out of control as she believed, Michiru was certain of it. And she knew without a doubt that killing Shinzui wasn't going to make her partner feel any better. It wouldn't bring them back. She wanted to argue with Haruka, declare that vengeance was an overrated notion, that Shinzui was a different person now, that the person Shinzui had been had died a long time ago. But she knew that none of this would make any difference to the racer. Haruka's sense of honor and justice had always been black and white. And as much as Michiru admired Shinzui personally, there was a part of her that was angry with the older girl, angry because she had brought back all the pain and made Haruka suffer through it again.   
Haruka interpreted the silence as disapproval and sighed, stepping forward to clasp Michiru's hands in her own. "Try to understand, Michiru. They were all I had."   
Michiru raised a teal brow, and a melancholic smile quirked one corner of her lips. "You had me," she stated quietly. "You've always had me."   
Haruka blinked, startled, as her partner gently extricated their hands, and walked away into the bedroom. The door closed with a soft click, and the racer was left to consider these words alone.

**********

Usagi rearranged the containers of food on the picnic blanket for the fiftieth time, deciding that perhaps it would be better to put the salad closer to her right, because she planned on seating Haruka there next to her and she suddenly remembered that the racer loved salads. Makoto watched the agitated blond with amusement.   
"Usagi-chan, calm down. They'll be here." The brunette laid a friendly hand on the smaller girl's shoulder, effectively halting her nervous activity.   
Usagi looked at her sharply. "Of course they'll be here," she retorted defensively, as if trying to reassure herself at the same time. "Haruka-san promised to come." She reached out to adjust the angle of the salad plate with her good arm.   
Minako and Rei exchanged glances. Their friend had been distraught ever since she regained consciousness in the hospital; her first question had been whether or not Shinzui had been killed, and the second had been whether Haruka was all right. Rei had updated her on the state of events, and from that moment on scarcely a second had gone by where Usagi was not worrying about their racer friend. They were all very glad that Haruka and Michiru had agreed to come to the picnic; perhaps now Usagi would finally be able to stop worrying. Of course, that would only happen if the two older girls actually showed up.   
"Hi, _odango._"    
There was a collective sigh of relief as the rich voice greeted them, and Haruka and Michiru approached the little group arm in arm. They both looked, for all intents and purposes, remarkably well; Haruka wore her usual tan sportcoat and jeans, and Michiru, in her simple lavender dress and turquoise ponytail, was smiling pleasantly at everyone.   
Usagi jumped up quickly. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" She ran towards them and seized Haruka's free arm. "Come on. Sit by me." She dragged Haruka over to the end of the blanket and plopped herself down in front of the picnic basket, then looked up at the older girls expectantly. With a grin, Haruka folded her long frame onto the ground, criss-crossing her legs at Usagi's side. In a cloud of lavender cotton Michiru gracefully settled herself next to her partner, and the other girls followed suit. Chibiusa, however, moved in to give Haruka's neck a quick hug before squeezing herself in on Usagi's other side.   
The food was delicious, but as Makoto had been the cook no one was surprised. The girls laughed and chattered together, and despite Haruka's tension she found herself relaxing considerably in the presence of the younger girls. None of them had looked at her strangely or seemed to hold any hard feelings. It would seem that, like their leader, they had all chosen to forgive and forget the events of the day before. Surrounded by their smiles and giggles, Haruka felt more and more glad that she and Michiru had come.    
No one mentioned Shinzui. Haruka wondered, fleetingly, if Usagi had instructed them all to avoid the subject, but whatever the cause she was grateful for it. She didn't want to think about that filthy murderer right now. She didn't have to think about her. She could just be safe here with her friends and pretend, if only for a few hours, that Sailor Orion did not exist.    
They ate slowly, the younger girls filling in the older ones on current school events, including Minako's crush of the week and Ami's latest stunning test scores. Even the serene blue-haired genius was remarkably chatty and light-hearted. Michiru laughed and teased the girls as they asked her for makeup advice, and even Haruka was drawn into the conversation as Michiru revealed it was her tomboyish partner who usually picked out the stylish clothes she was known for. The others were astounded at Haruka's seemingly uncharacteristic good taste, and she was immediately prevailed upon in a chorus of giggles to host a shopping spree the following weekend. She agreed to this with a quiet amusement nearly bordering on shyness.    
After eating, Minako and Makoto dragged them all to the volleyball court, insisting on a game (or two, or three). Haruka removed her sportcoat, and Michiru sat with it, smiling, on the sidelines. The smile on her partner's face, and the low, delighted laughter that greeted her ears from the court, relieved Michiru considerably. Haruka was definitely going to be all right. The other girls had accepted her back among them with scarcely a blink; all was forgiven and forgotten. Michiru could only hope that some of this benevolence would rub off on her partner when it came to dealing with Sailor Orion in the future. She was certain that the Sacrificial Soldier would take great pains to avoid them, but at the same time she knew that avoidance would not be entirely possible. They still had that Silver Dagger to find.

**********

From across the park, Lady Slipper watched the group of frolicking girls with disgust written all over her beautiful features. It was now the fourth day of her banishment from the Avatar's presence, for she did not dare to return to him without the Dagger in hand. It had taken too long, and she knew the Avatar's patience had run out. If she did not succeed in producing the Dagger very, very soon, it would mean her life. It would also mean the end of their ambitions for yet another millennia; they would not get another chance at reopening the Doomsday Gate for another thousand years. Besides, this might just be their last chance.   
Everything was so bizarre this time around. The Negaverse had always been thwarted in its previous attempts to retake the Gate, but it had never seemed so tenuous, so possible, as it did now. Orion was obviously in a muddle, with revelations of past deeds that had been buried for over a million years coming to light suddenly and painfully and in a rush. Lady Slipper could almost taste the blood of the Posiverse between her teeth. She could almost hear its last dying screams, and the thought filled her with a greed and desperation that she hadn't felt in such a very, very long time. She relished the empowering evil feelings that were beginning to resurface. When the Posiverse fell, what glory! What power! What beautiful destruction would come to them all.    
She had been queen once, before Orion's betrayal. Together they had ruled the Negaverse, the most powerful source of power in existence. They had made the Guardians tremble, shook the foundations of the planets, terrorized the weak and could demand everything from everyone without being obligated to give in return. There was a time when she bowed her knee to no one, and now…ever since he'd left…she'd become displaced, unwelcome, oddly out of the loop. Her powers still qualified her as a Sailor Constellation, but she had lost the title and influence that had gone with it. For a while she had considered seducing ChibiOri, Orion's father and perversely, her son from a former life, but she found him too abominably stupid to be of any use to her. Even if she had succeeded in marrying him, the Avatar was too full of himself to realize how he could benefit from making her his queen. He would keep her titleless, out of selfish foolishness, thinking it would keep her subservient.    
Lady Slipper gritted her teeth. She was tired of being the underling. Her only hope for a reclamation of her former power would be to return either the Dagger or Orion himself to the Negaverse; and since it was becoming more and more clear that Orion would never return willingly, it left her only one other option. She needed that Dagger.   
Sea-green eyes watched Usagi with an almost hungry expression. The girl had broken her arm only the day before, but it was easy to see that Orion's healing influence was at work as the bones were nearly healed. Lady Slipper cursed herself for having missed the chance to test the girl's blood when Uranus had so conveniently spilled it for her. It was of no consequence now, however. The past was in the past, and she did not have the time for regrets. She needed that girl's blood and she needed it now. Keeping her eyes fastened on the petite blond, she rose to her feet. Her fingers fell to the small knife at her belt, and she smiled coldly, taking a step forward.   
"Going somewhere, my love?" Orion's deceptively sweet, bell-like voice tinkled from above her, and Lady Slipper looked up to see Sailor Orion perched in the tree branches over her head. In a liquid smooth motion, the colossal soldier dropped from the tree, landing directly in front of the Negaverse woman with a dangerous expression in her silver eyes.   
Lady Slipper arched an eyebrow. "My, my…haven't we recovered from our little foray into the past rather quickly, Orion? As I recall, you didn't speak to anyone for weeks after our glorious victory at Uranus."   
"I'd hardly call it glorious," Orion spat out bitterly. "And had I the time and safety, I'd much rather be locked up alone right now to suffer the guilt I deserve. But I don't have the time. And with you still threatening the Princess, I certainly don't have the safety."   
Lady Slipper sighed. "I never will understand why you idolize that little brat so, Orion. She's the one responsible for your fall from power."   
"She's the one responsible for giving me a reason to live," Orion retorted firmly.   
"Some life," Lady Slipper snorted derisively. "Tell me, does she even know about the Curse you endure? Or the pain of the Eternal Sacrifice? Does she have any idea how much you suffer on her account?"   
"I suffer on my own account." The silvery gray eyes glinted. "I can never atone for what I was. But I can make sure that the evil I did is never repeated. I will protect this universe, this planet, and that girl over there, with my life."   
Lady Slipper rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, the tragic heroine. I'm getting rather bored of this innocent act." She turned to gaze in Usagi's direction again. "But I really don't have the time to stand here arguing with you, Orion. I need that Dagger."   
"You realize I'm not going to let you touch the Princess. You'll have to kill me first." This was said quietly, and with such deep conviction that it threw Lady Slipper off guard.   
But only for a moment. With a shrug and a smile that she did not feel, the rose-haired woman nodded. "If you say so." She narrowed her eyes then, and send out a burst of negative power and brilliant pink light that momentarily engulfed Orion, the tree, the nearby park bench, and several onlookers, who were immediately rendered unconscious. When the light had passed, Orion remained standing. Her Music Sphere had appeared, humming calmly, and surrounded the Sacrificial Soldier with a soft peachy energy shield.   
Lady Slipper was not surprised. She hadn't really expected her attack to have much effect…not on Orion, anyway. She glanced over to where the other girls had been playing their game, and grinned as Haruka caught sight of the tall Sailor Senshi. Orion followed Lady Slipper's gaze and she too watched the racer's face darken with hate. Lady Slipper giggled. "Looks like I won't have to kill you, Orion. I think your little friend will be more than happy to do it for me."   
Orion's eyes widened as she turned back to her former wife. "Lady Slipper…" her tone was halfway between a threat and a plea, and the rose-haired woman batted her eyes.    
"While you two discuss your differences, my _jaki_ and I will just meander over there to take a little blood sample," she simpered, extending her knife out over the grass so that a drop of black liquid rolled down the blade.   
Sailor Orion didn't have time to watch the _jaki_ form itself. She dodged as Haruka's fist swept past her face, scarcely missing her chin, and spun around to see the tomboyish girl, chest heaving with rage, staring at her with murder in her eyes. "I told you, Orion, didn't I?" The deep, mannish voice ripped from her throat like the growl of an infuriated animal. "I told you if I ever saw you again I would kill you."   
The pretty soldier's face was pained, feeling the anger and disgust rising from the other girl in waves that burned her very soul. It hurt just standing a few feet away from her. She could not keep the tears from dropping onto her cheeks, and they too burned. "Uranus," she whispered desperately.   
A cruel grin spread across the racer's face. "You know, for the Scourge of the Posiverse you sure cry a hell of a lot." Without waiting for a reply, and without caring who was watching, Haruka thrust her fist into the sky, henshin pen in hand. "Uranus Planet Power, Make Up!"   
As the golden power of Earth swept around the enraged senshi, Orion turned to check on Usagi. The small girl had been whisked into the public bathrooms, of all places, and she could already see Sailors Venus and Mars emerging from the small wooden building, ready to defend the Princess against Lady Slipper and the _jaki_. She had to get over there and help them; without her power Sailor Moon would be unable to destroy the evil spirit.   
But she didn't have the chance to move. She felt a rush of wind at her back and the trembling of the ground under her feet, and as she turned to face Sailor Uranus the full force of a very powerful World Shaking attack struck her in the face. Orion felt herself lifted into the air, the strength of the Earth-based energy racking her body with pain so severe that she scarcely felt the blow when she was dropped to the grass. A soft groan escaped her lips as she tried to rise. _The Princess…I have to help the Princess…_ She struggled to her knees and then to her feet, the impossibly high heels of her boots making it difficult for her to maintain her balance. Without looking back at Uranus she took a few steps towards the other senshi, who were battling valiantly against the _jaki_. They had formed a circle with Sailor Moon at the very center, protecting their precious leader who was the target of the creature's attack. But they'd never be able to destroy it without her help.    
Sailor Neptune was running towards them, calling out Uranus' name, but before she reached them Orion felt a powerful blow at her back that snapped her head backwards forcefully and drove her to her knees. Uranus grabbed the silvery white hair at the top of Orion's scalp and pulled her up, landing another sideways punch into the taller soldier's ribcage that resulted in the unmistakable cracking of bone. Orion moaned again as the pain exploded in her side. Her soldier training kicked in, fired by the pain, and she seized Uranus' fist, pinning it with her own body weight and spinning around, her free arm poised to deliver a blow of her own and the other prepared to snap the Magnificent Soldier's wrist. But one look at the agonized, hating gray eyes and she released her hold. She'd caused enough pain to this girl. She would not do it any more.   
Uranus' eyes widened as Orion suddenly seized her wrist, and despite the broken ribs spun around in true warrior form to defend herself. Adrenaline rushed through her veins; she would finally have the fight she'd waited millennia for. But then it was as if all the fight died out of the older soldier. Orion dropped her arm, released her hold, and Uranus experienced a wave of fury oddly akin to disappointment. "Don't go feeling sorry for me now, Orion," she hissed. "It's a little late for that." She drew back and punched the Sacrificial Soldier across the jaw, with force almost powerful enough to burst the silver eye out of its socket. Not that it would make much difference to Orion, who was blind most of the time anyway.   
Sailor Orion stumbled back, a stream of blood flowing from her nose, and when she opened her mouth it was to spit out blood and several teeth. Her vision suddenly filled with red, and she knew that the blow had ruptured something in her eye; a vein, perhaps, or possibly even the eye itself. It hurt too much to be able to determine the source of the pain. If the Princess had not been in danger, she would have curled up on the ground right then and there and allowed Uranus to beat her to death, but under the circumstances she could not. She had to help Sailor Moon and the others. With the excruciating grinding of bone tearing through her side, she nonetheless forced herself to straighten and stagger in the direction of the battle with the _jaki_.   
Neptune reached Uranus' side with an expression of horror. She stared down at her partner's gloved fist, stained red with Orion's blood, and shook her head. "Uranus, stop this. Please. You're better than this."   
"I'm going to kill her," was the only response, and it was a half growl. Uranus snatched her arm away from Neptune and stared down at her with cold, expressionless eyes. "Stay out of it, Neptune. Stay out of my way." She shoved the Elegant Soldier aside, managing to control the fire in her blood enough to prevent dealing out any bruises, but still making the motion powerful enough to get the message across. She was not going to be stopped, not even by her most beloved friend. Images of her son's cherubic, bright face, and of Gayen's gentle smile and glowing red mane, flashed before her eyes in a haze of suffering and spite. She could practically hear the millions of anguished voices, screaming to her from across time, demanding vengeance. It was time to make Orion pay.   
Uranus launched herself at the crippled soldier again, this time landing a flying kick to the Sacrificial Soldier's right knee. More bones snapped, louder this time, and Sailor Orion fell to the ground with a moan of pain. Even in her broken and battered state, Orion still had the strength and superior power necessary to defeat Uranus, and Uranus was well aware of it. "Fight me, you murdering son of a--" the soldier of Earth demanded, fury choking back the end of the phrase as she fell on top of Orion and deliberately crushed the girl's abdomen with her knee as they connected with the ground. But Orion would not strike back. Her left eye was so swollen and bloodied that it was impossible to locate under the purpled flesh; the right one rolled anxiously towards the other senshi, who were fighting off Lady Slipper's _jaki_ with a determination that was admirable but nonetheless ineffectual. It was only a matter of time before the creature wore them all down, knocked them all out, and then Sailor Moon would be at the mercy of the Negaverse. "Uranus, please…" she moaned, every word causing her to spit blood. "The Princess… let me help the Princess, and you can do anything you want to me."   
The Magnificent Soldier's eyes narrowed. "We don't need you," she snarled, delivering another blow to the other side of Orion's face. "We never needed you." She hit her again. "The Sailor Planets can defend Sailor Moon on our own. You don't belong here. You're a monster." She accentuated each sentence with another punch. "Come on, you're not fooling me. I know you can still fight back, so fight."   
Orion's head shook from side to side weakly. "No."   
"Hit me, damn it!" Uranus bellowed, rising to her feet and kicking the fallen soldier in the stomach. "Get up and hit me."   
"No."   
"Get up." She delivered another kick. Orion shook her head, and Uranus gritted her teeth, hauling the taller girl up by the hair again, forcing her to her feet. "I said get up and hit me."   
"I won't." Orion met Uranus' eyes with a quiet, sad expression that only served to anger the soldier more. "Just let me help the…"   
"I told you, we don't need you," Uranus screeched, striking out again. This time, blood from Orion's mouth actually spattered across her face as her fist connected. "We can take care of our own. What right do you have to show up in our world, to show your face here, to dare to call yourself one of us? You're an animal, you always have been. You don't deserve to protect her. You deserve to die."   
"You're right." Orion remained hunched over, balancing on her left leg, the front sections of her white hair stained scarlet with blood and saliva. The soft, tortured tones surprised Uranus. The older girl sounded so exhausted, so pained, in a way that went far deeper than the beating she was receiving. "I'm tired, Uranus. I'm so sick and tired of myself that I wish I could die. But maybe…" she moved slightly, so that her one good eye regarded the other soldier through a mist of reddened hair, "maybe letting you kill me will help. It's no more than what I deserve. Just promise me you'll take care of the Princess."   
"Oh, no. You're not going to get away with that," Uranus snapped, bringing her elbow down on the back of Orion's neck. "You're not going to go making yourself the innocent victim here. You murdered billions of people, Orion, and you're going to pay for it. If you really want atonement…then fight me."   
For a second it seemed as if time had frozen. And then, with a slow movement, Orion straightened her shoulders and met Uranus square in the eye. The sorrow in her tinkling voice resounded in sharp contrast to her words. "Okay, Uranus. If that's what you want."   
Uranus grinned bitterly, and lunged at her. This time Orion caught the fist aimed at her nose, and with a motion quick as lightning struck out against Uranus' face, bloodying her nose. Uranus grunted in satisfaction. Now that was more like it. Orion wasn't holding back…that had been a good punch. Uranus recovered swiftly with an undercutting blow to Orion's abdomen that doubled the taller girl over, and Orion allowed herself to drop to the ground. She used her good leg to sweep Uranus' out from under her, so that both soldiers would be fighting on the grass; with her broken leg it was the only way to even the field. For a few moments the girls rolled and struggled, landing blows here and there, until finally Uranus managed to get Orion pinned to the ground underneath her. She wrapped her fingers around the girl's neck in a posture that was ironically reminiscent of a similar encounter a thousand lifetimes ago. She'd had Orion in this position once before, and had made the mistake of letting go. This time she'd finish the job.   
Orion went limp in the other girl's hands. She wouldn't have to fight back anymore; Uranus now felt sufficiently justified for killing her, as she was ostensibly no longer the innocent victim. She only hoped that the strength Uranus' depression had lent to her, allowing her to kill the _jaki_ at the hospital, would repeat itself so that Sailor Moon would not fall into Lady Slipper's hands. She offered up a silent prayer to the Guardians, begging them to watch over Sailor Moon for her, and apologizing for having failed in her mission to complete the Sacrifice this cycle. It couldn't be helped. Uranus was right; there must be vengeance for the dead, and six billion souls had gone unavenged for far too long. Closing her eye, she felt the heavy, sharp pain of asphyxiation as her body ran out of oxygen. In a few more moments, she lost consciousness.   
Uranus watched the other soldier's face in a euphoria of hate, grinning maniacally as Orion's eye rolled back in her head and closed, and the body beneath her went completely limp. She was going to do it, this time. She was really going to have her revenge. Gayen and Jutei and all the others would finally be able to rest peacefully. Just a few more seconds…   
A sudden flash of piercing blue light blinded her, and she turned, startled. The _jaki_ had succeeded in breaking through the other senshi's defenses; she could see the forms of her fallen friends littered across the grass, and her eyes widened when she realized that Sailor Moon was being held aloft by the hideous black creature. However the blue light she had noticed before seemed to be erupting from the inside of the spirit itself, a light of such purity and power that it was painful to look at. The light found the seams of the creature, bursting from its joints, dividing and tearing it into pieces which dissolved almost spontaneously from the intensity. As Sailor Moon was lowered carefully to the ground in a transcluscent blue bubble of the same strong light, Uranus blinked in surprise. The figure striding towards her was familiar; long golden robe, shock of white hair, sapphire eyes blazing with an expression of anger like she'd never seen before from the youngest of the Guardians. With a cry, Demetrius extended one hand, releasing a stream of blue light directly at Sailor Uranus. She found that her hands were forcibly removed from Orion's neck, and a sudden burst of power caused her to lose consciousness.   
Demetrius stood for what seemed like an eternity, gazing down at the soldiers of Earth and Music. Finally he waved one hand, and with yet another blue flash every Sailor Senshi in the park, as well as the Guardian himself, vanished. The light faded and they were all gone. Nothing was left but the grass, the sky, and the solitary tree. There was no breeze, but the thick leaves trembled as though they understood the tragedy of the scene they had just witnessed.   
As always happens after a cataclysmic battle for the safety of the world, it took approximately ten seconds for life to return to normal. The birds resumed their twittering, and the park visitors shrugged off the strange occurrence as yet another bizarre supernatural event that was beyond their comprehension. The only remaining traces were a few wet crimson streaks across the soft grass.


	32. The whole story! Orion's rebirth

Untitled Document

Part Thirty-Two: The whole story! Orion's rebirth 

Uranus awoke from a heavy, thick sleep. She had the uncomfortable feeling that something was wrong, that something unpleasant had happened, and slowly she became aware of a throbbing through her left cheek. Recollection came to her then, and she remembered the fight with Orion, the blue flashes of light, and the Guardian's sudden appearance. Damn that meddling Guardian, anyway. He always seemed to be sticking his nose where it didn't belong.   
The soft strains of a familiar melody reached her ears, and she opened her eyes and sat up. Demetrius had brought them to the Celestial Hall. She recognized the soft gray-blue stone of the walls, the gentle lavender light shed from the torches on the walls, and the smooth white stone floor. They were in a large rectangular room that looked almost like a hospital ward, with a row of white beds along each wall. Each bed was occupied by one of the Sailor Senshi, covered in various scratches and bruises from their battle with the _jaki_. The Orion Music Sphere hovered in the air, floating back and forth between the beds with an unusual reddish glow and healing song. Uranus could feel the cleansing, strengthening influence of the music as the pain in her muscles decreased, and noted that the senshi who occupied the other beds were also beginning to stir. Each of the girls was dressed in the white and gold gowns of Silver Millennium princesses as a result of the Celestial Hall's centering energy, which presented everything and everyone within it in their truest of forms. Uranus grimaced as she looked down at her own body. True form or not, she'd never been the dressy type, and the gold loops, beads and embroidery of the elaborate gown were just not her style.   
The Guardians were gathered around the bed at the far end of the room, and Uranus' jaw clenched as she caught sight of Orion, in her Sacred Child get-up. The blood had been cleaned off her pretty face, but one of her eyes was so swollen and discolored that it looked like a rancid Easter egg. Her lip bore several small black stitches, and even though the rest of her body was concealed by the long white folds of her gown, Uranus was well aware of the broken bones and bruises that covered just about all of it. She moved to stand, and the three Guardians turned to pin her with their jewelled eyes.   
"Don't move." The voice was Demetrius', and it shook with anger. Uranus suddenly found she could not disobey. She was frozen in place. The red glow from the Music Sphere, she noted, was coming from the biggest of the Guardians, the one with the ruby eyes. He was manipulating the Sphere in order to heal the others, since it was obvious that Orion couldn't do it in her condition. All three of them were staring at her with expressions she did not much like.   
"You—" Demetrius took a step forward, but one of the others put a hand on his arm.   
"Peace, Guardian Brother."   
"Peace, nothing." The young man shrugged the hand off, keeping those terrible sapphire eyes fastened to Uranus. "She almost killed her. She almost ruined everything."   
"But she didn't. The Child will live."   
"At what cost?!! Do you have any idea what you've done?" This was demanded of Uranus. "Of course you don't. Because you don't know…you don't know anything."   
"I know enough," Uranus answered coldly.   
"You don't know anything," Demetrius repeated. He clenched one fist, and it was shaking. "But I'm going to fix that."   
"Guardian Brother, you mustn't. It's not your right."   
"Yes it is, Neophilus. It's my right to protect the one I love." He moved away from the Sacred Child's bed, coming to stand before Uranus. "She told you what she did. Did she tell you why? Did she tell you about the Curse?" Uranus stared back blankly, and he shook his head. "She wouldn't. She'd never tell you herself. She only gave you half the story, Princess of Uranus."   
"What's going on?" Jupiter's voice sounded from across the room, and several of the girls, having regained their strength, were sitting up on the cots to stare curiously at the three Guardians. Uranus felt a hand on her shoulder, and knew that it was her partner.   
Princess Serenity was the first to rise from her bed and walk towards them. To Uranus' great surprise, the petite girl positioned herself defensively between Demetrius and Uranus, and regarded the Guardian with regal calm. "Guardian Brother, you must explain yourself." Her voice was soft.   
The young man took a deep breath, finding that the presence of the Moon Princess did much to soothe his anger and frustration, and he nodded. "Yes. But this time, to everyone. You all deserve to know the full story." He waved one arm.   
The senshi found themselves standing in the library of the Celestial Hall, before the great table that held the Book of Balance. The two members who had not been involved in the fight, Pluto and Tuxedo Kamen, had been added to their number, and they stood blinking in surprise at their sudden arrival. There was a moment of confusion as everyone adjusted to the new location, and Princess Serenity greeted her Prince, attired as Endymion under the influence of the Celestial Hall's magical atmosphere, with happy squeals. The Neo-Princess also made a big fuss over Endymion's appearance, and so it took several minutes for everything to calm down sufficiently to allow Demetrius to speak. Uranus noticed with mute satisfaction that Orion was not present.   
The sapphire-eyed Guardian held up his hand for quiet, and indicated the Book in front of them. He nodded at Uranus and Neptune. "You were given part of the story. The Child told you about the way that she destroyed your planet with the Soul Dissolver." He turned to Pluto. "Do you remember?"   
The graceful woman closed her eyes for a moment in thought. "It was a long time ago…" she began hesitantly, and Demetrius nodded.   
"Here. I will help." He touched her forehead lightly and his fingertips glowed blue. Her face contracted suddenly in an expression of horror, and her eyes flew open.   
"I…" she gasped for breath. "I remember."   
He nodded again, sadly, and motioned to the rest of the planetary princesses. "Tell them what you know, Princess of Pluto."   
Haltingly, she tried to explain the events of millennia ago; the false attack that the Prince of Darkness had staged on Neptune, drawing Sailor Uranus away from her home planet in order to swoop in and destroy it. By the time she had finished, the other girls and Endymion were all staring open mouthed at Uranus, and Princess Serenity's face was streaming. Pluto shook her head dazedly. "I cannot believe I could have forgotten such a thing. How terrible."   
"No wonder you were so mad," Serenity sobbed, flinging herself on Uranus in a violent hug. "Your whole planet and everything! And your family…"   
Uranus stood stiffly, staring at Demetrius. When she finally spoke her voice was cold. "You know what that monster did to my world, Guardian Brother. Whatever sentimental attachment you may have to her now, it cannot erase the fact that she deserves to pay for what she has done. You don't have the right to deny me that."   
"She has paid, Princess of Uranus. She has paid more than you know." Demetrius shook his head. "The Child only told you the part of the story she wanted you to know. She only told you about her mistakes. But she didn't tell you why, and she didn't finish the story. Think, Uranus. The monster you saw in your memory…did it ever occur to you to wonder how such an evil man of the Negaverse became a gentle girl of the Posiverse?" He sighed. "The Sacred Child has been suffering for her mistakes for thousands of years, in ways that you couldn't even guess. She's spent over a thousand lifetimes enduring a Curse for her past wickedness."   
"What kind of curse, Guardian Brother?" Endymion asked.   
"The worst kind. But first, you must be told the whole story. Only then will you be able to understand." He laid one hand on the open pages of the Book of Balance. "All of you, place your hands on the Book, please." The others obeyed, except for Uranus. She stood back and glared defiantly, folding her arms.   
Princess Serenity looked up, fastening crystal blue eyes to the rebellious soldier. "Uranus." She didn't have to say anything else. Gritting her teeth, Uranus stepped up and placed her own fingers on the open page. 

**********

25 G.W. (Twenty-five years into the Great War) 

The door to the prince's private study swung inward silently, and a young woman in a flowery pink halter top and skirted white leggings entered the room without speaking. For a moment she stood at his back, looking up at the dark globe that was suspended in midair before them. He was watching that human girl again; she could see the images that flashed through the hovering sphere as well as he could, and her rosy brows knit together in a frown. This was becoming tedious. However, she kept her voice light as she approached.   
"Well, well, my love. What's your little Sailor Planet up to now, hmm?" She slid her arms around his neck, and blew seductively into his ear.   
He made a grunting sound, almost like a growl. "I don't recall sending for you, Lady Slipper. What are you doing here?"   
The pretty woman giggled lightly. "Do I need a reason for wanting to be with my betrothed?" she purred, nibbling delicately on his earlobe. He batted her away.   
"I wish to be alone."   
Lady Slipper gave a petulant sigh and stuck out her lower lip. "I just don't understand it, Orion. What's this girl got that makes you so taken with her, hmm?"   
The pitch black of his eyes remained fastened on the vision of the girl in the sphere. "She's a soldier."   
She rolled her eyes, moving onto his lap and pretending to be engrossed in the floating sphere as well. "Of course she's a soldier. She's a Sailor Soldier just like all the rest of them. And the little brat nearly killed you."   
"Yes, she did." The comment did not sound uncomplementary. "She's strong, that one."   
"Strong?" Lady Slipper repeated incredulously. The girl in the sphere was currently sitting on a mountainside with a group of other women. Her long sandy-colored braids were nearly the same length as Lady Slipper's own, and she was dressed in a simple blue cotton sundress. Her feet were bare. She tilted her head back to laugh at something one of the others had said, and all the while her fingers were busily employed, stringing a pile of daisies in her lap into a long chain. Lady Slipper snorted. "That country mouse doesn't even look like a princess, much less a Sailor Planet."   
"But she is both." The Prince of Darkness rose to his feet, unceremoniously dumping his fiancee to the floor in the process. He did not seem to notice as he proceeded to walk around his desk, examining the sphere from all angles and thus receiving a panoramic view of the girl in question. "Sailor Uranus is the only member of the Sailor Planets who has ever looked at me that way, with death in her eyes. She's the only one with the magnificence, the potential. She could be a killer, that one. She'd make a fantastic Negaverse soldier."   
"You can't be serious." Lady Slipper picked herself up off the floor, forgetting dignity in her surprise. "You're saying you want to recruit her? Orion, that's insane."   
"I saw it, Lady Slipper. She had her hands around my throat and she was going to kill me. It's the first glimmer of hope I've seen from the Posiverse since this war started. The beauty of it! The determination, the killer instinct, was there. She would have done it."   
"I fail to understand why that is such a good thing."   
"You fail to understand a lot of things." He chuckled darkly as she scowled. "I don't think I can explain it to you, Lady Slipper. She's just…" He looked back at the globe with a bitter smile. "She's beautiful."   
Lady Slipper arched an eyebrow. "Well if that's all it is, my love, it's easily taken care of. You've never had trouble taking any girl you fancy, you know. If you want this one, I'll get her for you, and you'll soon find that you tire of her just like all the others."   
"You will not touch her." The vehemence in his voice was surprising. "This one is different, Lady Slipper. She must come to me of her own free will."   
The beautiful woman regarded him dubiously. "That will never happen."   
"Perhaps not now," he agreed thoughtfully, continuing to stare into the hovering Sphere. "But it is not for lack of spirit or ability on her part. She has the necessary strength to kill, but she allows that strength to be chained down by those insignificant humans." His eyes narrowed as Princess Uranus rose from the ground, a completed daisy necklace in hand, and the Sphere followed her as she walked a few feet away to place the flowers around the neck of a smiling red haired man. She rose on tiptoe and the two shared a lingering kiss, which was interrupted by a small redheaded boy who tugged at her skirt. With a laugh, she knelt down so the child could put his own ring of flowers, noticably messier than his mother's neat circle, on top of her sand colored braids. She kissed the boy's cheeks tenderly, and administered a playful slap to his bottom as he ran off to gather more flowers. The Prince shook his head in disgust. "She has such potential, and those humans she calls her family are what hold her back from fulfilling it. Her man, that little brat, the sniveling royal family, that dumpy sister, and the entire pitiful planet are her own worst enemy and she doesn't even know it. Her love for them is hindering her."   
Lady Slipper observed as the husband and wife pictured in the Sphere exchanged a long, emotional gaze. She giggled. "Love. What a stupid notion. There is no such thing as love. Ambition, endurance, even lust, those are the only things that count." She tried again to regain his attention by moving between him and the Sphere, sliding her hands up his chest and rubbing the hard muscles sensuously.   
He looked down. "You're wrong, Lady Slipper," he snapped. "Love exists. Just…not for us." There was a strange tone in his voice, and his fiancee stared at him. Was that longing she heard in his words? A suspicious expression filled her sea-green eyes as she searched his face. Orion had always been a little different from the others. Ever since they had begun construction of the Doomsday Gate, ever since their first forays into the Posiverse, he had experienced brief spells of odd behavior. Lady Slipper had occasionally come upon him and discovered him lost in a pensive sort of trance. He seemed to be wishing for something he could not name and did not understand. She had brushed it off as being the effect of overexposure to the Posiforce; after all, it had been millennia since any of them had been exposed to it and Orion was the one who spent more time in the Posiverse than any of the others, planning and leading the attacks of their armies. But the spells were happening more and more often now, and Lady Slipper couldn't help wondering if there was something else going on. It was as if there was a part of Orion that was connected to the Posiverse in some way, and the more time he was exposed to it the stronger that connection grew.   
"I think you're spending too much time in their world, my love," she replied, using her last two words with deliberate irony. "You're getting too obsessed with this love idea. You're even starting to believe in it, for heaven's sake. Maybe you should take a break, hmm? Give yourself a chance to rest. All this Posiforce is playing with your head."   
"You may be right." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "It's late. I think I'll go to bed early."   
"An excellent idea," she purred, slipping her hands around his neck. But he shook his head and removed them.   
"Alone." 

She pouted, but he was adamant, and so he led her to the office door and bid her goodnight. After the door was closed, he turned to stare at the girl in the Sphere again. He sat down at the large desk, chin in hand, and watched the light dance over her features and sparkle in her soft gray eyes, those same large, fathomless eyes that had glared at him with the strength of steel only a few months ago, when he had threatened to destroy her planet. _So magnificent_, he mused, and felt a tugging inside that plagued him. He wanted her, but it was unlike any desire he'd ever felt before. With other women he felt only the need to conquer and destroy. 

_But with this one, I want… I want…_ He slammed his fist down on the desktop with frustration. _I don't know! I don't know why I feel so strange when I think of her. It's like she's inside me, always, even when I close my eyes. I see her face everywhere. I hear her voice in the wind. And I want…_ He shook his head, his black mane falling around his eyes. _I don't know!!_   
The Princess of Uranus was still standing with her husband. They were talking together, and then the man reached forward and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She caught his hand, holding it to her cheek gently, and he said something that made her smile. He leaned down to kiss her again, their lips connecting with a sweetness unlike anything Orion recognized. It wasn't simply passion or physical pleasure. There was something between the two of them that went deeper, and he felt instinctively that it was an incredibly powerful force that bonded husband and wife. _That's what the humans call love, isn't it? Lady Slipper was wrong. It exists, all right, and it's such a strong energy. With a power like that, I could… _His midnight brows suddenly shot up with shock. _That's it! That's what I want. I want the power of human love. I need to understand it. And if I had her, if she would look at me that way, she could teach me about love and I could gain its power. And then who knows what I could accomplish? _He chuckled then, from deep in his throat. _All I need to do is to make her love me. And that's simple enough._ It was obvious to Orion that the problem lay in the humans and their sentimental, weak spirits. But if the humans were eliminated, Uranus' weaknesses would die right along with them. She could become truly strong then. And if he was the one to help her achieve that strength, she was sure to fall in love with him. He was certain of it. He'd observed human behavior long enough to know that they had the tendency to fall in love with people who did nice things for them, and so if he took the trouble to do something nice for the Princess of Uranus, she would naturally fall in love with him and then he could learn the secret that would give him love's power. Wouldn't Lady Slipper, and all the Sailor Constellations, be surprised? He'd bring the Negaverse the power of love, and conquer the Posiverse humans with their own precious ideals. Nothing could be more apropos. He chuckled again, this time a little longer. 

********** 

28 G.W. 

The screams of the dying filled his ears, and he could not stop laughing. It had taken him over three years to plan this attack, and to develop the weapon he'd need to accomplish his goal. And now, after all that hard work, he was rewarded with the exquisite sight of the entire planet and all its despicable inhabitants burning.   
When he'd first come up with the idea of the Soul Dissolver, it had been out of anger. He'd wanted to try it out on Sailor Uranus, to make her pay for humiliating him in battle when she'd nearly choked the life out of him. But the more he'd obsessed about her, the more he realized that he didn't want to kill her. He wanted to possess her. And more importantly, he wanted her to give him the power of her love. He'd seen how strong it was, what kind of might it had. Over the years, watching the humans, he'd observed how the thing they called love could make them do all kinds of things they would normally never do. Sometimes these were foolish things, and sometimes they were amazing feats of physical or mental endurance that should have been, by all natural laws, impossible. Love was a Posiverse concept. It didn't exist in the Negaverse. His fellow Sailor Constellations didn't believe in its existence at all, but he knew better because he was more perceptive than all of them. He'd prove it by conquering love and making it serve his purpose just as he did everything else.   
This was the first step. Of course, there was the small problem that Uranus had unwittingly created when she asked the Guardians to give that man of hers the same eternal soul that she possessed. But with the creation of the Soul Dissolver it was no longer a problem. Gayen was gone now, eternally, and could never come back to bother her again. And with the entire planet reduced to a charred, dead rock, she would finally be free of all those who had imprisoned her with their expectations and ideals, and with their love. They were gone; the love she had for them would burn right along with their souls. And all that would remain, then, was for her to realize that he was the one responsible for setting her free from their imprisonment. She could become what she was meant to become; a powerful, invincible soldier. A real soldier who could kill. And once she'd realized this, she was sure to share her love with him out of gratitude. Then he'd finally have what he wanted.   
He'd imagined this scene countless times over the past three years. He'd approach her, tell her all about the Soul Dissolver and how he'd worked for such a long time to create it in order to free her from the tyranny of those humans. He'd watch her face as she began to understand, now that the blindfold of love had been lifted, that he had rescued her. He could just picture the gratitude on her face. She'd thank him, with dignity befitting a soldier, and then she'd look at him the way that she had looked at Gayen and he'd finally understand what this whole love thing was all about. He'd take her back to the Negaverse, show her his world, and she would of course want to rule it with him, especially when she saw how much more powerful they were than the Posiverse and how inevitable the fall of the Posiforce was. He'd agree to let her be his First Concubine, in charge of all others in the royal harem, and he'd even let her bear him a few sons, to be raised as princes and generals in his armies. Only Lady Slipper, his queen, and ChibiOri, their future son and heir to the throne, would rank above Uranus. After ChibiOri was safely born, Orion could always arrange for his wife to experience a little post-delivery trauma that would take her life, and Uranus, as First Concubine, would ascend to queen. They would rule the world together, conquer the Posiverse together, eliminate the Posiforce once and for all, and live happily ever after. It would be perfect.   
The flames engulfing the planet gradually died off, and finally all was silent. The smoking, blackened earth was the only thing left, and it was with great satisfaction that he saw Sailor Uranus materialize on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the valley where her little farm had once stood. Orion grinned expectantly and took a step forward, waiting to hear her exclamation of joy when she understood what he'd done for her.   
She made an exclamation, to be sure, but it was far from joyful. Orion was stunned as the woman in front of him dropped to her knees, letting out a cry of pain as if someone had run a sword through her heart. He stopped, puzzled. Maybe she just didn't yet realize what was happening. He put on his most pleasant smile. "You're free now," he said, moving towards her.   
The expression on her face as her head snapped up took him aback. He had never imagined that anyone could look so sad. He'd seen suffering on countless faces in battle; he'd enjoyed it because it was a sign of victory. But this was different. She was supposed to be pleased. Her rich, deep voice was hoarse and her eyes were streaming with tears that smudged her face with ash. "What have you done? Why?" She planted the tip of her sword in the ground, using it to stand, but her legs were trembling.   
He cocked his head curiously, and felt a flash of indignation. "You should thank me," he reminded her reproachfully. She obviously didn't understand what he meant, so he explained, pride filling his voice with each word. "Now that they're gone, you can be the warrior you're destined to be. You're the only one, Uranus…the only one of these pitiful Sailor Planets with the real essence of a soldier." He watched her face, expecting her to be pleased with his complements, for it was a rare occasion indeed when he praised anyone. But there was nothing. Her face was becoming more and more of a blank, and so to save her the embarrassment of asking he generously decided to offer the invitation. "Come with me, to the Negaverse. Become what you were meant to be." He held out one hand.   
For a moment she didn't say anything. Her face was as passionless and frozen as a carved statue, and it was beginning to unnerve him. This certainly was not going the way he had planned. When she finally replied, there was scarcely any identifiable tone in her voice. "You want me to be a soldier? I'll be a soldier." To his bewilderment, she raised her sword to her neck.   
Sailor Orion took a step forward in concern. What was she doing? She looked so cold. So dead. Surely she wouldn't… But no. The sword did not break skin. There was a soft _shing_ of metal, and one of her long sand colored braids fell to the ground lifelessly at her feet. The blue ribbons which had been entwined so prettily among the strands of golden hair were stained nearly black by the soot. He stared at her as the other braid followed the first, so that all that was left was the sad, choppy wisps blowing desparately about her face. Orion swallowed hard. Feelings he'd never experienced before began to grip his chest so that it was becoming hard to breathe. What had he done? What was happening to her? For the first time in his life, he began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he'd made a mistake.   
She spoke again, in that dead voice. "I wouldn't go with you for anything in the world." The words, spoken without any hint of malice or anger, were almost like physical blows. He could feel the endless hopelessness behind them, and it was far worse than if she'd screamed or cursed at him. "Not even if it would bring them back."   
He stumbled back a step. She wanted them back? But, he'd done this for her. It had all been for her. Why wasn't she happy? What had gone wrong? "I…" He wanted to explain. If only she could understand what he'd been trying to do, surely she would see that this was good for her. This was going to help her. It was going to make her happy. Wasn't it? Suddenly he wasn't sure. In fact, he had the sinking feeling that there was something terribly wrong with his entire plan. "I just thought…I didn't mean to…" He turned in a circle, surveying the destruction as if he was seeing it for the first time, and for the briefest of moments he was able to see through Uranus' eyes. He'd made a terrible miscalculation. He'd thought that if he destroyed the humans, it would also destroy her love for them. He'd thought love was like a spell they'd cast over her, using it to manipulate and control her actions. But maybe that wasn't it at all. Maybe love couldn't be killed along with the loved one. Maybe that was the real power of this love thing…why hadn't he seen it before? What if love couldn't die, couldn't be killed or destroyed or lifted like an enchantment? If that was true…   
_What have I done?_ Orion met her eyes again, those passionless steel eyes. _I didn't just kill this planet,_ he realized numbly. _I've killed her. _ He didn't understand why this thought distressed him so much. He was a murderer, after all. He'd killed countless millions of people in this war and never thought twice about it. _But I didn't want to kill her. I didn't want this._ He shook his head, dazedly. If love didn't die, and if she was destined to love that man he had destroyed, and if that man was never reborn, she would be alone forever. She would spend an eternity without love, without family. She would never love again. As this realization dawned, it was almost more than his spinning mind could bear. He fumbled for the Opal bracelet at his wrist. He needed to get out, to get away from those lifeless eyes before they tore him apart. Pressing the stone, he felt himself being whisked back through the Gate, back to his own universe. He still didn't know exactly what had happened today, but one thing was certain; nothing would ever be the same again. 

********** 

33 G.W. 

"I could kill him," Lady Slipper offered calmly to the rest of the table. "It wouldn't take much. Just a little nightshade in his wine before bed and he'd never wake up."   
"No." Sailor Libra shook his head, and the Constellations all turned to look at him. The garnet-haired soldier had a thoughtful expression. "Our humble citizens are too fond of Orion. If we assassinate him ourselves we risk losing their support."   
"But the humble citizens," Draco hissed sarcastically, "don't have to fight beside him on a daily basis. He's become unstable, irrational, soft. The man's gone crazy, ever since that victory at Uranus five years ago. He used to be a genius, and now…" The reptilian Sailor Senshi shook his head in disgust. "Now all we get is 'Don't attack there, don't kill them, stop stealing that…' He's seriously cramping our style. We can't get anything done around here."   
Sailor Scorpius nodded, bringing a meaty fist down on the table with such force that a large crack opened down the center of the thick oak. "He yelled a' me," the massive Constellation whined petulantly, sounding like a spoiled child. "I pulled da heads offa dose human baybies 'cause dey was makin' lotta noise an hurtin' my head, an da Prince, he yelled a' me." The big man sniffled, and Phoenix rolled his eyes.   
"What's the matter, Scorpius? Did the Prince's pet actually get into trouble for once?" The Constellation of Fire grinned. "It's about time…he's been harping on the rest of us long enough. But I agree, we have got to do something. Orion's going to cost us the war, you know, with all these insane 'relocation' policies and rules. We're Negaverse soldiers. We kill. We steal. We rape. We destroy. We do NOT relocate survivors. We're not supposed to _leave_ any survivors."   
Taurus spoke up from the end of the table, with his hand on Delphinus' shoulder. "My brother and I have tried to talk to him. He won't give us the Soul Dissolver, and he refuses to use it himself. When we have a weapon like that, a weapon that could have ended this war years ago, what are we doing still fighting these pointless little skirmishes with the Sailor Planets? Orion has to go."   
There was a chorus of nods and affirmation around the table, and Sailor Gemini finally rose to his feet, holding up his hands for silence. His handsome face, almost too pretty to be male, was set with determination. "I just wanted to make sure we are all in agreement as to what must be done," he said quietly. "Sailor Orion must die. He's become useless to us in this lifetime. The Avatar will simply have to father him again, so we can start over. Libra is right, however; we cannot allow it to look as if we've assassinated the Prince of Darkness or we may incite rebellion among our soldiers. So here's the plan…" 

********** 

The flaps of the tent lifted, and Sailor Mercury came in, running so fast that she nearly tripped over her own feet. She fell to one knee in front of the low table. "Your Majesty… Queen Serenity, we have him. We actually have him."   
The white haired queen rose wearily to her feet, brushing strands of hair out of her eyes. There was a blood soaked bandage around her waist. She had been wounded by a stray lance in battle the previous day, but refused to leave the battlefield. Though her injury caused great pain, she forced herself to stand. For Sailor Mercury to be this excited it had to be important. "Who, Mercury?"   
Before the blue-haired woman could reply, however, the tent flaps were torn aside, and Sailor Moon came charging in, tumbling in a heap on the floor in a most undignified fashion before leaping back up, and ignoring the scuffs to her knees and elbows. "Mother! Mother, it's the Prince! The Prince of the Negaverse himself. He's wounded and couldn't escape this time." The petite blond lurched forward, siezing her mother's shoulders and shaking her with excitement a few times before realizing what she was doing. Her cheeks blushed a little and she stepped back as the Queen regarded her reproachfully, one hand pressed to the aching wound in her side. "Ooops," Sailor Moon mumbled, and after taking a moment to gather herself she performed the proper curtsy. "I mean… Your Majesty, it is my pleasure to inform you that the Sailor Senshi have taken Sailor Orion captive and are awaiting your orders."   
The queen gazed at her daughter for a moment with an inward smile. So full of life, the princess was, even if she wasn't always the most dignified and regal of young girls. There had been a time, she could recall, when she herself had not been much different. But she knew that it would not be much longer before it would be necessary for her daughter to give up her careless ways. The constant twinges of pain in her side spoke all too clearly to that effect; there wasn't much time left. She allowed a few more seconds of uncomfortable pause, just enough to make sure her daughter had been sufficiently chastised for her imprudent behavior, and then she allowed the smile to creep onto her face as she nodded. "I understand, Sailor Moon." She turned to Mercury. "Bring him to us." The soldier of air nodded and left the tent.   
A moment later she returned, and this time Sailors Mars and Jupiter were right behind her. Jupiter had a large black-caped man slung over one shoulder like a sack of meal, and as she approached the queen she flung her burden to the ground with distaste. If they hadn't been in the queen's presence, she would have kicked the limp form a few times just for good measure. Sailor Mars moved to stand with pointed warning beside Sailor Moon, keeping one of her fiery arrows trained on the man on the ground just in case. She inclined her head respectfully to the queen, never taking her eyes off Orion, and spoke.   
"Jupiter and I have been guarding him, Your Majesty. Sailor Venus is doing damage control among the troops so they don't form a mob and lynch him right out of our hands. Tuxedo Kamen's helping."   
Queen Serenity nodded. "And Uranus?" she asked quietly. At the name, the man on the floor moved slightly. Mars shook her head.   
"As soon as Neptune heard, she took Uranus back home. Hopefully we can get this taken care of before she finds out we've captured him." Mars' violet eyes were troubled. Uranus hadn't spoken a word in the last five years, not since the holocaust of her planet and family. Sailor Neptune had taken her in, bringing her to the palace on Neptune and doing everything she could to keep her comfortable. They had all tried to get Uranus to take some time off, or at the very least to rest quietly for a while, but it was as if the soldier of earth had lost all emotion. She appeared at every battle, slashed and attacked with her sword until every enemy within reach had been destroyed, and then retreated back to her room on Neptune again. Even Princess Serenity had been unable to get through to her. The only one Uranus responded to was Neptune, and even these responses were minimal. She lived in her own world now, a place no one else could reach. But if she discovered that Orion was here, in their power, who knew how she would react?   
The queen sighed. Of all the terrible things she'd witnessed in the war, what happened to Uranus was by far the most difficult to deal with. She had tried so hard to help her friends, her Sailor Soldiers, to work through the anger and hate that was the natural reaction to such devastation. But from the way Jupiter was glaring at Orion's prostrate form, she knew they all still had a very long way to go before they'd be able to come to terms with it. "Very well," she said, and then for the first time spoke directly to Sailor Orion. "Are you going to tell us what happened?"   
He lifted his head then, to reveal a bloody gash that ran from his forehead almost to his ear. "I was betrayed." He didn't sound too unhappy about it. In fact, the queen could have sworn she heard a sadness and weariness in his voice that matched her own. Could it be that this war was wearing on him as well? "The others have decided I am a liability. Sailor Gemini—you're familiar with him, I'm sure—used his little duplication trick, and 'accidentally' caught me in the crossfire." Queen Serenity nodded. She'd seen Gemini fight, and was well aware of the Constellation's ability to duplicate his own body so that he could attack from two places at once. Sailor Orion took a deep breath that was more like a sigh. "They arranged to wound me, then left me here. They knew you Planets would finish me off." He shrugged. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get it over with as soon as possible. Unless you have some sort of public celebration planned for the execution."   
"We don't perform public executions of war criminals," Sailor Jupiter spat. "That's a Negaverse custom, and it's disgusting."   
To everyone's surprise, the Sailor Constellation nodded. "Yes, it is." He surprised them even more by adding, "You don't have to bother torturing me for information, though I doubt you Posiverse soldiers hold that custom, either. I'll tell you anything you want to know."   
"You would betray your friends and family?" Sailor Mars' eyes widened.   
"I have no friends. I have no family." He turned to look at her with coal black eyes that seemed to have no bottom to them. "There are no such things where I come from."   
"You're a coward and a traitor as well as a murderer," Sailor Jupiter snapped. She looked up at Queen Serenity, green eyes burning. "Your Majesty, let me do the execution, right now."   
The queen did not meet her eyes, but continued to gaze down at Orion with an inscrutable expression. "I wish to speak with Orion alone," she said quietly, and the other Senshi exchanged glances.   
"Your majesty, we can't leave you alone with him. He'll kill you," Sailor Mercury protested.   
"No. He won't." She closed her eyes for a moment. "Leave."   
When Serenity used that tone of voice, they all knew better than to press further. But as Sailor Moon moved to follow her friends, the queen called her back. "Sailor Moon. You stay." Obediently the girl returned to her mother's side, looking down at Orion. The queen knelt down on the ground, careful of the wound in her side, and settled herself on her knees so that she could look Orion directly in the eye. "I do have one question I've wanted to ask for five years," she began softly. "Why did you destroy Uranus?"   
He blinked at the injured queen. "You don't know how lucky you people are," he answered, his deep, cruel voice sounding not quite so cruel at the moment. "You have this connection to each other that's so strong. None of you are alone. You don't know what it means to be alone." He shook his head. "In my world everyone is alone. No one cares. No one feels. No one loves. I just…I wanted to know what love is." He rubbed his temples wearily. "But I didn't understand. I still don't. I don't know what went wrong."   
Sailor Moon's mouth dropped open. "You're saying you killed all those people because you were looking for love?" She shook her head. "But that's…that's… It's crazy."   
He shrugged. "I'm supposed to be the Prince of Darkness, ruler of the Negaverse. I'm not supposed to need love. But…I do. I need it, and I don't even know what it is." He turned back to the queen. "I can't even feel sorry for what I've done. I feel…unsettled, lonely, but not sorry. Regret doesn't exist for me, either." He looked down at the Opal on his wrist. "That's why I'm going to give you this." He pressed the black stone, and with a soft rush of air a large weapon materialized in his hand, looking like a small cannon with a container of red liquid attached to one end. "It's the Soul Dissolver. The weapon I created to destroy eternal souls. Use it on me."   
Sailor Moon stared at him in shock. "You want us to dissolve your soul?"   
"Yes." Orion met her eyes with a humorless grin. "I'm dead already. Without being able to feel, I can't really live. I'm a walking corpse, out of control, don't you see? Every day I become weaker, less and less alive. I cause suffering, and I can't even enjoy it anymore. If you don't dissolve my soul I'll just be reborn to go through it all again. I don't belong in the Negaverse, and I certainly don't belong here."   
The queen smiled at him then, a genuine, warm smile that was tinged with wonder. "Sailor Orion, there's nothing wrong with you. There's something right with you. That's the problem." She tilted her head to the side. "You know the story of the Great Division. The way the ten soldiers of the Blend were split into separate beings, positive and negative. And you are the negative half of my daughter." Sailor Moon's eyebrows shot up, and the queen's smile widened. "Orion, I understand now. The soldier with the powers of Soul was the most powerful and pure of all. And during the Great Division there wasn't enough negative energy to make a whole Negaverse soldier. You must have taken some of Sailor Moon's positive energy with you, and that's what creates these longings for emotion and love." She took the Soul Dissolver from his hand, setting it on the ground, and held his hands in her own. "There's a part of you that remembers love, Orion. There's a part of you that knows it exists, and it's that same part of you that craves love in order to survive. When you began spending time in the Posiverse, this positive energy was awakened."   
Sailor Moon looked back and forth from one to the other in amazement, digesting this. Then she made a fist. "That settles it, then. We can't kill you." She turned to her mother. "We have to help him."   
Orion snarled and pulled his hands away. "If you want to help, pick up the gun and shoot me, before I change my mind. It's the only thing you can do. Posiforce or not, I'm a soldier of the Negaverse."   
"I refuse to believe that," Sailor Moon retorted. "There's always a better way. If there's even just a tiny bit of good in you, it's never hopeless." She looked at the queen. "Mother—give me the Crystal."   
Queen Serenity's eyes widened. "Sailor Moon, don't be ridiculous. The Imperium Silver Crystal has great power, but not enough to purify a being with this kind of negative power. It would never work."   
"You always told me I was the first. The first to hold the Crystal. That I could control it even better than you can."   
"But your powers are not developed enough yet. If you try to release the full power of the Crystal now, it will destroy you." Queen Serenity shook her head. "I can try it myself."   
"No, you can't. You don't believe it will work, and if you don't believe, it won't." Sailor Moon met her mother's eyes evenly. "I know I can do this, Mother. Please."   
The queen shook her head. "Even if it did work, you have no way of knowing what it would do to him. How it might change him. It might be painful. It might even kill him, or transform him into some mindless monster. Such a thing has never been done." Her gaze fell on the Soul Dissolver. "Orion may be right. We may not have a choice. And--" she turned to look at Orion. "As much as I hate to say this, I don't believe this man is worth losing your life for. He doesn't deserve it, Sailor Moon."   
"Maybe not. But it doesn't matter." Crystal blue eyes sparkled with tears. "Try to imagine, Mother, just for a moment, what it would be like to go through life always alone. Never having a single friend, or feeling connected to anyone, ever. Never loving anyone or being loved. It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't know or care. But what if you did know? That something was missing. You even knew what it was, but you were incapable of feeling it. Imagine what kind of living hell that would be." She clenched her fists. "If there's a chance that he might find what he's been looking for, I have to help him." Queen Serenity was still shaking her head weakly, and Sailor Moon frowned. "If you won't give me the Crystal, Mother, I'll summon it myself." Serenity's eyes widened as her daughter, with a determined set of her jaw, closed her eyes. Orion watched curiously as the Sailor leader concentrated, her delicate hands fluttering up to clasp at her heart in a position of prayer.   
For several moments it seemed as if all three had been frozen, without breathing. Then, with a soft humming sound and a brilliant flash of silvery light, the Imperium Silver Crystal shimmered into being within Sailor Moon's hands, transforming her from Sailor soldier into Moon Princess in the blink of an eye. The light was so bright that Orion had to shut his eyes, but even from behind closed eyelids he could still feel the gentle, achingly beautiful waves of energy that suddenly swept through the tent until it seemed he could bear it no more. He was being split in two, the darkness in himself screaming in agony in the presence of such light, while another part of him, a brighter part, was gaining strength with each moment and helping the light to clear the darkness away.   
It hurt, so much. Orion had never imagined that such pain could exist. He thought he was dying, that this must be what it had felt like to all those people when he destroyed their planet with fire. His body was changing, getting smaller and larger and losing shape, then gaining it again in the strangest of places. He was losing himself. He could feel the light carving into him, dissolving everything that was not light. He wasn't anyone. Orion was a thing, a being without identity or allegiance or emotion, simply one mass of living, breathing pain. It was simply a constellation of stars, a melody, a symbol without a name.   
Orion could feel purity pouring in and around and through every molecule, coming from someone else. Someone who was purity. They were one and the same, from the same place, with the same soul. They were complete, together, and they made a balanced whole. The darkness of Orion, the brilliance of the Moon, the souls of dark and light together as they were always meant to be. And it was then that Orion knew love. It was a love so powerful, so alive, so much more exquisite than the wildest of imaginings, and it was in Orion's hands. It belonged to both of them; she had shared her love and it was something that could finally be embraced and understood and remembered, and with the love the pain changed. Suddenly the memories of death and fire were brought into focus, and Orion understood why they hurt so much. They were wrong, plain and simple. It had been wrong to kill all those people. It had been wrong to try and force Uranus' love. It had been wrong, and Orion felt overwhelming sorrow.   
What a beautiful, terrible thing this love was. How it hurt! How it overjoyed! Orion was a new being, with this love. No longer a Prince of Darkness, or a prince of anything. What Orion was now, was the opposite of everything that had been. No longer dark, but light. No longer man, but woman. No longer alone, but loved…loved by the one person in the universe whom she had sworn to hate. Orion knew herself. She was completely different, and yet would always be the same. Her soul had been transformed, but it was still hers.   
When she opened her eyes she could not see; tears poured down her cheeks faster than she could blink them away. What a monster she was. She was alive, more alive than she had ever been, and she was herself in a way that she had never been before. The Moon Princess stood before her, looking up at her, holding her hands so tightly that it seemed as if they were still joined as one being, one consciousness. Orion could feel the separation, ever so gradually, as their souls were drawn apart, back into their separate minds. Part of her grieved at the separation, and she held more tightly to the Princess' hands wishing that it didn't have to end.   
When it did end, however, Sailor Orion was finally aware of herself. Of what she had become. Gone was the black hair, the black eyes, the massive muscles and long dark cape. Gone was the coldness, the hardness, the cruelty. She was a woman now, with a woman's heart and a woman's body. Her clothing, still black and peach, had been redesigned to suit the Sailor _fuku_ worn by the female Sailor Planets. Her hair was silver. Her eyes were silver. She felt new, and alive, and in love, and the feelings overwhelmed her senses until she lost them. With a cry halfway between a laugh and a sob, she fell to her knees before the small Princess and allowed her newfound heart to break. 


	33. The eternal curse! The last of Orion's ...

Part Thirty-Three: The eternal curse

Part Thirty-Three: The eternal curse! The last of Orion's secrets 

33 G.W. 

The Guardians of the Balance stared down at the pages of the Book in utter amazement. This was something none of them had expected or could have predicted. The Prince of Darkness, Sailor Orion, had been purified by the Princess of the Moon. But their amazement was tempered with sorrow as well. The Moon Princess hadn't realized it, so caught up in Orion's transformation, but she had nearly been overpowered by the Crystal's strength as it drew energy from her to effect the purification of a Negaverse soldier. Queen Serenity, sensing her daughter's danger, had reached out with the last of her own power to prevent the Crystal from draining the Princess dry. Though her sacrifice had been a successful one, saving Princess Serenity's life, it had also cost her own.   
The Princess was not yet aware of the fact that her mother was dead, too busy comforting the weeping Orion, and the Guardians decided that before she was able to discover it for herself, the situation called for a little intervention. In a split second, Princess Serenity and Sailor Orion found themselves in the library of the Celestial Hall, blinking in amazement at the three legendary Guardians.   
The Moon Princess stepped in front of Orion defensively, unsure of whether or not the Guardians meant her harm. But Guardian Father held up a hand and shook his head. "Fear not, Princess of the Moon. We understand." His voice, with the awesome waterfall power, resonated with friendly tones through the room. "But we must assure ourselves of what has just taken place. Sailor Orion."   
The Sailor soldier rose to her feet, albeit a bit uncertainly, and took a step forward. She met the Guardian's eyes without flinching, her face still wet with tears. "I am Orion," she stated quietly. "But I am not what I was." Her new voice, used for the first time, made a soft, silvery tinkling sound that carried through the air like delicate music. "I am not sure what I am."   
Guardian Father nodded. "That is to be expected," he replied with a touch of humor. "Even we are not yet sure what you are. But we are about to find out." The three moved from the table to approach them, and Guardian Father extended one hand to touch Orion's forehead. The ruby eyes closed for a moment. "Your new physique is pure and strong," he announced. "You are sound of body." He lowered his hand and moved away.   
The second Guardian came forward, the one with the amethyst medallion, and he also put his fingers on her forehead for a few seconds. He nodded with satisfaction, and his voice came as a whisper. "Your new thoughts are pure and strong. You are sound of mind."   
The third Guardian, the shortest of the three, performed a similar test. "Your new heart," he said enthusiastically, as if he could hardly believe it himself, "is pure and strong. You are sound of spirit." He took a few steps back and stared at her with unabashed astonishment. "I don't know how it's possible, but it's as if you're an entirely different person. All the evil which chained you to the Negaverse has been eradicated. You're…you're just like any of the Sailor Planets. I think you've just switched sides." He shook his head dazedly.   
Orion looked from one to the other, her eyes filling with tears again. "I have?" she asked, in a tone so strained that it was hard to tell whether she was happy or sad.   
They nodded, and Guardian Friend's whisper was extremely gentle. "You are now a member of the Posiverse, Sailor Orion. You don't belong to the Negaverse any longer. But that doesn't mean that you will not bear heavy consequences for your actions as the Prince of Darkness. But then, you already knew that, didn't you?"   
A shadow crossed Orion's face. "Yes." She turned to look down at the Moon Princess, more than a foot below her gaze. "I know now what it is that I have done to you and to your people. I will never forgive myself for the pain that I have caused you, Princess."   
Serenity shook her head adamantly. "No, no, Sailor Orion, you must not blame yourself. The things you did were done while you were someone else. You are a different person now. The old Orion is dead. You shouldn't hold yourself responsible for he did."   
Orion's smile was sorrowful. "I must, Princess. Someone must be responsible for that much pain. It cannot be allowed to be forgiven or forgotten. And…" her silver eyes traveled back to the Guardians. "I know what the penalty will be. I thought that I was in love, at a time when I did not know what the word meant. Now that I understand it I find that my feelings have not changed, only become pure. And these feelings will forever haunt me, a curse that cannot be broken and cannot die."   
Guardian Brother nodded, and his sapphire eyes were sad. "Yes, Orion. As punishment for your actions, you will not be able to escape the consequences of the curse. You will love her forever. She will hate you forever. It is what must be." He shook his head. "Though I would it were not. The curse of unrequited love is the worst of curses, and for you it will be eternal, as your soul is eternal."   
"It is no more than I deserve," Orion replied with an ironic smile. "I have doomed her to an eternity without love. The least I can do is share that fate."   
Princess Serenity's eyes went back and forth between them, trying to determine what they were talking about. When it finally dawned on her, her eyes grew as large as teacups. "Her…you mean Sailor Uranus, don't you?" Her mouth dropped open. "You…you were in love with her, in the Negaverse, weren't you, Orion? And you didn't know how to love because you didn't know what it was. You destroyed the planet because—"   
"Because I wanted her to love me in return," Orion finished for her, the irony still tinging her voice. "And my limited understanding of love led me to believe that her planet and her family was in my way. I thought if I eliminated them, she would love me." She shook her head, stunned by her own twisted logic. "It made so much sense at the time, but now I see the truth of what I've done." More tears fell. "Now that I have love, now that I can understand it for myself, my love for her has been purified so that I can see that truth. And to make sure that I never forget it, I will be destined to love her for the rest of my life, for every lifetime, for the rest of eternity, while she will be destined to hate me."   
Serenity shook her head, her own eyes filling with tears. "That's too awful," she protested, turning to the Guardians. "Do something. You can't just let Orion be sad for the rest of eternity. Not when she finally has what she's been looking for. It's not fair."   
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do, Princess." Guardian Father sighed. "The only way to break the eternal curse is through forgiveness. Orion must be able to forgive herself."   
"And that's something I will never do." The pale-haired senshi's eyes filled with tears again. "When I think of their faces, remember their screams, remember the sadistic joy that filled me upon watching them die, it is impossible for me to forgive myself. And when I think of the fact that because of me, Sailor Uranus will never love again, and will spend the rest of eternity alone, it seems only just that I should be alone as well." Tears fell down her face, and she wiped them away with wonder, gazing at the moisture on her fingers with an expression of awe. "I can cry," she marvelled sadly. "No one in the Negaverse ever cries. I will spend the rest of my lifetimes in tears for what I've done. Not for myself, but for the people I've hurt; for Uranus and her family and all the members of the Posiverse and Negaverse that I have betrayed, tortured, murdered and broken for my own selfish whims. I have spent millennia in unrepentant hate. I shall now spend infinity in unrequited love. It's poetic justice."   
There was a sudden snarling at the door to the library, and the Guardians' mouths dropped open as a black laborador retriever materialized in the middle of the doorway. Guardian Father immediately encased the creature in a field of red energy so that it could not attack them, though none of the Guardians could understand how such a small creature could have overcome the protective barriers around the Celestial Hall. Sailor Orion took a step forward.   
"Centauri?" she inquired with some astonishment. "How did you get in here?"   
"I've been looking for you, Orion. When the Sailor Constellations returned without you and I learned of their betrayal, I came to find you." The lab bared his teeth at the Guardians. "It was difficult tracking, but here you are. And from what I understand, you've decided to leave the Negaverse." He looked Sailor Orion up and down. "I can't say I approve of your decision, but I'm not about to let you go anywhere without me. My place is with you, and if you're joining the Posiverse then so am I."   
Her silver eyebrows went up with surprise. "But what about Vega? She's your mate, Centauri. You can't just leave her behind, can you?"   
Centauri rolled his eyes. "You left Lady Slipper, did you not? In any case, Vega was the one who informed me of Gemini's betrayal. She was very proud of her master for his underhanded tricks. She was also quick to inform me that Gemini was taking over as leader of the Constellations, which, in her mind, gives her a rank above mine." He growled. "Can you imagine me, working for a woman?"   
Orion lifted an eyebrow quizzically. "Centauri, have you taken a good look at me recently?"   
If dogs were able to blush, Centauri would have blushed as he realized that his own master was now a female. But he shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, so you're a girl. Still better than that bossy, superior little vixen who calls herself my mate. I belong with you, Orion, and I intend to stay with you whether you like it or not."   
Guardian Friend stepped forward then. "If you are in earnest," he whispered, gazing with calm amethyst eyes at the black lab, "then I find your dedication to be honorable. You, Centauri, shall be purified as Orion was purified, and by so doing you shall become her means of transformation."   
"What do you mean?" Sailor Orion asked.   
Guardian Brother, immediately understanding what Oberon was thinking of, gave a big grin. "In the Posiverse all the Sailor Planets have regular lives in addition to being Sailor Soldiers," he explained. "They're all the princesses of their planets and they live, most of the time, in human form without needing their Sailor powers. So they have items which help them to transform, to take on their Sailor power only when they need it. Now that you're to stay here in the Posiverse, you'll need such a transformation item yourself."   
She blinked with surprise. "You mean, I am to have another form, outside of this one?" She looked down at her current Sailor _fuku_. "In the Negaverse, we always retain our Sailor forms."   
The Guardians nodded. "Yes," Guardian Father replied with a warm smile. "That opal you wear on your bracelet has also been purified, and holds the main power of your transformation." Orion looked down to see that the Orion Black Opal at her wrist had indeed changed color. It was now a shimmering peach stone with orange and yellow highlights that made it appear as if tiny flames were flickering in its depths. "The black opal has become a fire opal," Guardian Father explained with a nod. "It will lend you new powers, pure and good powers. It will also allow you to transform, but…" he tilted his head to the side. "Unfortunately, your transformation abilities call upon the darkness in the Realm of Soul, which means that transforming on your own power will turn you back into the old Sailor Orion, the Prince of Darkness."   
Princess Serenity stared at them. "So she could return to the Negaverse if she wanted to?"   
"Theoretically, yes. But because you have purified her soul, Princess, she will retain a far greater level of control over her past self." Guardian Father turned to Orion. "Friendship and love, which you know now, will remain with you even if you choose to revert to your old powers. If you returned to the Negaverse with those qualities intact, they would eventually destroy your soul."   
Sailor Orion nodded slowly. "I understand." If a tiny remnant of Posiforce from the Great Division had stayed with her and plagued her all these years, how much more would full knowledge of the Posiverse concepts of friendship and love do? She had been ready to destroy herself simply from the desire for love, and the Constellations had been ready to kill her for it. But it was a comforting idea. She could never return to the Negaverse, and that suited her perfectly. She never wanted to return. Her attention returned to her guardian labrador. "So Centauri will hold transformation power for me?"   
Guardian Brother nodded. "Once we've purified him, he'll be able to call on the light side of the Realm of Soul for you, and you can transform into your current Sailor form." He turned sapphire eyes on the black dog, still behind Guardian Father's energy field. "Is this what you want?"   
The animal nodded. "Sounds good to me."   
The three Guardians nodded at one another, and extended their hands towards the force field. 

**********

"You essentially know the rest," Guardian Brother said, looking from one planetary princess to another as the girls and Prince Endymion suddenly found themselves returned to the library, their hands on the open Book. "Centauri became Orion's guardian, and Orion received a human form. She comforted the Princess as they both grieved the death of Queen Serenity, and when the Doomsday Gate became an imminent threat she volunteered her soul in the Eternal Sacrifice in order to save the Posiverse from her own previous attempts to conquer it." He turned to Sailor Uranus. "I wanted you to see this so that you would know what she has been suffering on your account for over a thousand lifetimes. She is in love with you, Uranus, and she can't help it. It is the curse which she suffers for destroying your planet. She falls in love with you in every lifetime, and in every lifetime must bear your hatred and rage. She never complains. She would never tell you how she feels, or how much you hurt her. She believes that she deserves it."   
"She does." Uranus' voice was firm, but there was confusion in her face that had not been there before, and she turned to Neptune for support.   
The beautiful aqua-haired girl laid a hand on her partner's arm. "Does she?" Her voice was very gentle. "Think, Uranus. You have spent lifetimes without Gayen and Jutei and the others. But Orion was wrong, when she said you would never love again."   
Guardian Brother nodded. "Exactly. It has taken more than a thousand lifetimes, but with each one you have learned to let go, just a little more. You have learned to soften your heart, to care about people again. When your family was destroyed, you forgot how to love, but you were not made incapable of love. We have watched you healing, Uranus. In this cycle you have shown more tenderness and compassion than ever before. You have been happy, have you not?"   
Gazing at Neptune's pretty, upturned face, Uranus nodded. "Yes, I have."   
Neptune smiled. "I'm not saying you have to forgive her, Uranus. That's a decision that only you can make. But couldn't you at least try to tolerate her? I don't believe that you want to be the kind of person who hates so violently."   
Uranus swallowed, regarding the rest of her friends around the table for a moment before she sighed. "I don't want to be that person," she admitted. "I don't want to become what Orion was, and be unable to care about the pain I'm causing. Though I find it hard to believe she's in love with me." One sandy eyebrow went up.   
The Neo-Moon Princess grinned. "I knew it all along," she bragged. "She made that extra fancy valentine for you, remember? And she always says your name so silly. 'Uuuuu-raaaaa-nuuuuus.'" The little girl batted her russet eyes and giggled. "Orion and Uranus, sittin' in a tree…"   
Princess Serenity clapped a hand over her future daughter's mouth. "Shut up, dummy," she scolded. "It's not like Orion is…_that way_, you know. It's just that she used to be a boy." She turned to the other girls, who were exchanging uncertain glances. "Right?" They nodded hesitantly. "Well then, we just have to get her to forgive herself for all that past mess so that the curse can be broken." She grinned with satisfaction, oblivious to the skepticism in her friends' faces. 

********** 

The room was uncomfortably silent. Shinzui, her face still tender and bruised from Uranus' attack the day before, sat twisting her fingers awkwardly at the table. The longer the silence endured, the more certain she was that this had been a bad idea. The Guardians had been able to mend her injuries so that the pain had subsided into a dull ache in most places, and while she knew she'd be very sore for the next few days her extremely fast healing abilities were sure to make the recovery period brief. As soon as she'd been able to move around on her own, Usagi had ordered a senshi meeting at Rei's temple, which included Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and even little Hotaru, whom Chibiusa was babysitting. Shinzui had been furious with Demetrius when she learned that he had told the others of the Eternal Curse, but there was nothing to be done about it now. They all knew her most carefully guarded, personal secret, and her love for Haruka seemed to be hanging in the air indecently.   
They all knew, now. They knew everything. She had never felt quite so vulnerable or so exposed in all her lifetimes, and the worst part was, everyone was afraid to talk to her about it for fear of hurting her feelings or making her uncomfortable. As if it wasn't uncomfortable enough right now, with no one daring to speak. She would have brought the subject up herself, simply to set them at ease, except that Haruka herself was present and Shinzui had so far been unable to bring herself to speak to the racer. What must she think? The person responsible for murdering her family and planet, having the audacity to claim love for her—Shinzui was certain that the knowledge of the curse would only serve to intensify Haruka's disdain.   
"Hey, it's your birthday tomorrow, Shinzui-san, isn't it?" Mamoru broke the silence with as casual an inquiry as he could manage.   
Shinzui tilted her head in the direction of his friendly voice, and nodded. "Yes. March twelvth, about two weeks before the vernal equinox."   
Ami leaned forward. "The vernal equinox is the day of the Sacrifice, right?"   
"Yes. If the Sacrifice is not performed before the evening of the equinox the Doomsday Gate will be fully opened. We must be careful; the closer we come, the more anxious Lady Slipper will be to find the Dagger. She's after the Princess." Shinzui launched into the subject with a little too much enthusiasm; it was just nice to have something to talk about besides sitting in silent discomfort. Even considering her imminent death was preferable than dwelling on her feelings for Haruka.   
Usagi shifted uneasily. "Shinzui-san, maybe…since it's your birthday and all…I could let you test my blood for the Dagger. Kinda like a birthday present."   
The blind girl smiled gently. "No, Princess. I appreciate the offer, I truly do, but I have given you my word and I intend to keep it. Besides, I don't need any presents. With only two weeks left I could hardly have enough time to really enjoy them, now could I?"   
Haruka, sitting at the other end of the room, bit her tongue. She had promised them all to at least try to tolerate Shinzui, but it was proving more difficult than any of the others could have imagined. Even the knowledge of Shinzui's suffering did little to comfort her. It seemed everyone was treating the blind girl like an innocent victim, feeling sorry for her when the truth was, she deserved every bit of what she got. To make matters worse, there was now an annoying little prick of conscience telling her that she ought not to be feeling so hateful herself. While Haruka was more than willing to admit that Shinzui had endured considerable pain on account of her past actions, she was also not satisfied that this pain was sufficient punishment. After all, no amount of suffering on Shinzui's part would ever bring those six billion souls back.   
"But aren't you scared, Shinzui-san? I mean, aren't you scared of dying?"   
Shinzui's vacant eyes were very soft. "I'm terrified, Usagi-chan. Always. I know exactly what to expect because I remember all the other Sacrifices as if they happened yesterday."   
Rei frowned. "Does it hurt? Dying, I mean."   
There was a faint smile on the blind girl's face. "Yes."   
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Well, if I were you I wouldn't be so anxious to find that Dagger, then. It's not like it's going to be the best day of your life or anything."   
"But it is the best day of my life. Of all my lives. Giving up my soul for all of you, for all of this…" she swept her arm in the general direction of the window, "is the most wonderful privilege I could ask for. My lifetimes have always been shorter than yours, never more than twenty two years or so, but it's not such a terrible thing. It's given me a purpose." She rubbed Centauri's head affectionately as she spoke.   
No one but Michiru noticed how Haruka tensed a little more with each word. The elegant violinist put a hand over her partner's in an attempt to soothe her, but Haruka snatched it away. Her blood was boiling, the scarcely contained disgust written all over her features as she rose to her feet. She'd had enough. "Do you expect us to feel sorry for you?" she growled. "Your whole 'Oh-woe-is-me' attitude is really pitiful, you know that? Do you honestly think for a second that if any one of us was able to do this, that we wouldn't give up our own lives in an instant for the Princess and the rest of the world?"   
Haruka's gray eyes narrowed, oblivious to her friends who were staring at her, mouths open in disbelief. All she could see was the monster in front of her, the person responsible for the destruction of her family. Visions of Gayen's face, of Jutei's bright red curls, danced before her eyes in a curtain of flames, and Orion's chilling laughter echoed through her head. Her voice was venomous. "And let me tell you something. If it _was_ one of us who had to do it, you can be sure that we wouldn't be selfish enough to parade around demanding sympathy from everyone else. You do what you have to do— it's your duty because you're the only one who _can_ do it. Doing your duty may be an honorable thing, but it doesn't mean that the rest of us are supposed to bow down and kiss your feet."   
Shinzui had gone very white, so that the bruises on her face from her last encounter with Sailor Uranus stood out starkly against the pale skin. To everyone in the room it seemed as though the blind girl had forgotten how to breathe. Haruka stared at her, scorn dripping from her voice. "I'm supposed to feel sorry for you because of this whole Eternal Curse business? I'm supposed to show mercy to the person who ruined my life, who took the lives of my family, because that person happens to have some obsessive infatuation with me? I don't care. I'm not going to walk on eggshells around you because you're suffering a curse you deserve, and I'm not going to stand here while everyone worships you for your damned Sacrifice. You know what I think?" The racer's face was red with fury. "I think you're nothing but a coward trying to play the tragic heroine, Shinzui." She watched the fair haired girl contemptuously for her response, expecting her to burst into tears as usual or even attack her, giving Haruka the excuse she needed to fight her again.   
But Shinzui did not cry, and she did not leap up to challenge her. Instead, she gripped Centauri's harness so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "I… I'm sorry," she whispered, her tone so tight and tense that it was hard to determine exactly what emotion lay behind it. She rose to her feet with the grace and dignity of a princess. "I… Excuse me, please." Shinzui turned and limped toward the door, still favoring the leg that had been broken in Uranus' previous attack. Centauri led her away, and as they passed Haruka, he fixed her with a dangerous glare and growled, deep in his throat, baring his gleaming teeth for a second. Then he turned and led his blind mistress out of the room.   
Everyone in the temple room seemed frozen in place. Haruka still stood, watching the door where the girl she hated so much had just disappeared. Suddenly there were sharp footsteps coming towards her, and Haruka turned back towards the table to see who it was.   
CRACK!! Usagi backhanded the taller girl across the face. Haruka's hand flew to her cheek, and she stared down at the tiny Sailor leader in shock, too surprised to even react. _She… she hit me!_ The thought raced through her stunned mind as she touched her stinging face. _And it hurt!!_ It was then that she realized that it wasn't just Usagi who had hit her. It was Princess Serenity. Usagi was so outraged that the Imperium Silver Crystal in her locket had responded, transforming her into her royal form.   
The Moon Princess stood before Haruka, her blue eyes blazing with fury the likes of which Haruka had never seen from the petite Sailor Leader. The Princess' voice shook. "You have crossed the line, Uranus," she declared in a tone which carried with it all the power and authority of her station. Haruka, despite the rebellion in her heart, could not help herself. She fell to one knee before the Princess. Serenity's hands were clenched into fists. "To say things like that to Sailor Orion! I know she has hurt you, Uranus, more than any of us. I realize that. And I stood by while you beat her, and let you nearly kill her. I didn't say a word. But this has gone beyond revenge." The Princess' eyes narrowed. "Maybe Sailor Orion is pitiful, and selfish, and cowardly, just as you said. Maybe she is. But you do not have the right to pass such judgements. None of us can remember what it is like to die. When we are reborn, those memories are mercifully taken from us. But Sailor Orion does not have that luxury. Orion remembers every moment of every death… all the torture, the pain, the suffering and agony. Lifetime after lifetime after lifetime of it!" The Princess' voice rose in intensity. "And yet she's never run away. Never complained. The one thing that terrifies her the most— she faces it head on, for my sake and for yours. For all of us. She's trying desparately to somehow, in some small way, make up for what she's done. Sailor Orion can't bring your husband or your son back." A tear slipped down the Princess' face, and Haruka's heart clenched. She never meant to make her beloved Princess cry. "But she can dedicate her own life to making sure that you, Uranus, never again lose anyone else you love. Don't you see? Orion is not making herself a sacrifice for us. She's doing it for you." Haruka stared at Princess Serenity in shock. The thought had never occurred to her. The Moon Princess' eyes spilled over again.   
"Orion has been cursed for what she's done… cursed with unrequited love for the one person in all the universe who hates her more than anything else. She still loves you, Uranus. And the curse cannot be broken until she is forgiven. But you know all that already." Princess Serenity sighed with frustration. "I'm not going to try to command you to forgive her. Only you can make that decision. But you may NOT treat her in such a way." Her voice grew hard again. "I am so angry with you right now I could just…" She shook her head, stamped one foot on the ground, and stared at Haruka in fury. "How dare you? How dare you call her such things? You have not lived her lives, or died her deaths. You could not possibly understand the thousands of years of pain and loneliness and hopelessness she has had to endure… all because of you and your stubborn pride! How dare you!"   
Haruka's face flamed with shame as the truth of her Princess' words filled her with guilt. Shinzui's face, so pale and hopeless, sprang to mind, and Haruka imagined she could recall the actual impact of her words as she had spoken them to the girl. She recalled the images that Demetrius had shown them; the Prince of Darkness watching her from his Sphere, offering the Soul Dissolver to Queen Serenity. She remembered the hopelessness on his face as he begged the Moon Queen to kill him. She knew that hopelessness. She'd felt it herself when her family died. She knew what it meant to be alone.   
Haruka thought of Shinzui, the gentle blind girl whom she hated so violently. It seemed as if, in that moment, she could recall every word, every glare, every pain that she had inflicted on the older girl, not just in the past few months but in the past few centuries. Lifetimes that she could not even remember, and yet she was aware of the suffering she had purposefully caused for the reformed Sailor Soldier. But more than any of that, she recalled the incredible depth of those silver eyes, gazing at her with so much love and pain that she felt as if she were drowning. Such love, such intensity, such purity…and she, Haruka, had deliberately used it to hurt her.   
Princess Serenity was not finished yet. "You are wrong, Uranus. Giving up her life for us is not Orion's duty. Not at all. It is my duty. _Mine_. Orion has volunteered to take my place so that the Silver Crystal will not be lost to you… but it is not her duty to do so, and every time I think about how I let her die in my place, I feel ashamed of myself for being such a coward. If you want to call someone cowardly, Uranus, then I'm the one you should be talking to! Sailor Orion has more courage than all of the rest of us put together. Until you know what it's like… until you have been through what Sailor Orion has had to suffer… dying violently a hundred times over, without ever being able to forget a second of the pain, living your whole life desparately in love with someone who treats you with nothing but cruelty and spite… until you've understood her living hell, Uranus, don't you ever, EVER call her a coward again. Do I make myself clear?"   
Haruka could scarcely bring herself to nod. She couldn't even bear to meet the Princess' eyes. Her own eyes were burning, and her face was burning, and there was a heavy lump like lead in her stomach. She felt like she wanted to be sick, as the purity of Princess Serenity's presence illuminated the ugliness she'd been storing in her heart for so long. She was on both knees now, her arms wrapped around herself and her head low. _My god, what have I become?_ She tried to picture herself, the hate that was out of control, as she had attacked and brutalized Orion time and time again, and the image revolted her. The memory of her son, with his shining red hair and dancing eyes, flashed into her thoughts, and her heart ached. _Oh, Jutei…my precious son. What have I done to your memory? I've given you a legacy of bloodlust and vengance. I've let the darkness that took you from me consume my heart as well. And I've thirsted for revenge so badly… that I have become the monster I wished to destroy!_ Her heart was so filled with shame and guilt at this revelation that she could not speak. Orion never knew love. He was only doing what came naturally to him. But Haruka, who called herself a Sailor Soldier for love and justice, had allowed his cruelty to poison her so deeply that the hate remained even without the memories. She realized with shock that Orion's original plan had worked, perversely. By destroying her family, he had indeed succeeded in making her hard and unfeeling, the perfect soldier. The old Orion was gone, but he had still triumphed because she had given in to him. Bile rose in the racer's throat. She'd been right after all; she was a monster. Her grudge against Orion had nearly cost Usagi's life, and had caused her to turn against Michiru. And as justifiable as the hate was, she did not want to be the person that she had become. She did not want to be the creature that the Prince of Darkness had endeavored to make out of her. She did not want to let him win.   
A choking sound that was halfway between a whimper and a groan escaped her lips. Then she felt arms around her, drawing her up from her knees, and Princess Serenity's head rested on Haruka's chest as her beloved ruler embraced her. The racer wanted to push her away. _No, Princess, no. You shouldn't hold me like this. You shouldn't even look at me. I don't deserve it. My heart is more evil than Orion's ever was; because I didn't even bother to fight the darkness in myself. _But the Princess was surprisingly strong, and would not allow Haruka to break her embrace.   
"I love you, Uranus. I love all of you Sailor Soldiers like sisters. You know that." The Princess met Haruka's eyes, and they were so full of acceptance and unconditional love that it almost took Haruka's breath away. "But Sailor Orion is one of us now. I love her too. Please, Sailor Uranus. Please don't forget that."   
The love in her Princess' gaze was too overwhelming for Haruka to fight, and she gave into it, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl and hugging her back. "I'm sorry," she managed to say, her voice even lower that usual, so that if the others in the room hadn't known her better, they would have thought she was about to cry.   
The Princess gazed up at her friend, her own blue eyes sparkling with tears. "So am I." She hugged Uranus again, her form shimmering as the Silver Crystal, no longer excited by her violent emotions, powered down and she returned to her familiar Usagi form. Then Usagi looked up at Haruka, and half smiled. "Don't make me have to do that to you again, okay?"   
Haruka nodded, still not trusting her voice. She looked up to meet Michiru's eyes, and the reproach she found there was nearly unbearable. Even Michiru, her closest friend, the person she loved best in the world… even Michiru knew that what she had done was wrong. But after a moment, Haruka's resolve returned. _I have to find Shinzui. I have to talk to her._ She met Michiru's aqua eyes again, and this time, Michiru nodded almost imperceptibly. She knew her friend well enough to understand what she was going to do.   
Without a word, Haruka spun on her heel and left the room. Usagi started after her, but Michiru took her arm. "It's all right, Usagi-chan. Let her go." Usagi turned to look at Michiru's face, and slowly nodded. They all watched as the Magnificent Soldier strode out of the temple. 

**********

In the distance, there was the soft twitter of a bird. The waves lapped at her bare feet with a soft, insistent rhythm that filled her mind, so that she didn't have to think. She scarcely noticed the sting of the salt against her bloodied knuckles. She scarcely noticed the cold, ice-like tearstreaks on her face. She scarcely noticed the approach of the younger girl until she was almost on top of her.   
Without turning, Shinzui lifted her head. "Please, Haruka." Her tinkling voice was pained, and broke as she spoke the other girl's name. "Please, no more. I can't bear any more today. I'm sorry."   
The racer moved to sit beside the blind girl in the sand, propping one knee up so that she could rest her elbow on it, and stared out at the incoming waves. Twilight was setting in now, that magical hour right after the sun disappeared behind them, casting streaks of pink and violet into the darkening sky. Already some stars were beginning to twinkle into view, reflecting in shimmering pinpoints on the surface of the vast ocean. The water swirled up and around her extended leg, turning the khaki of her trousers a darker shade of brown. For several minutes they sat together without speaking.   
"Centauri told me where to find you." The racer's voice was low. "It wasn't easy to get out of him, either." There was another moment of silence. "He said he was afraid you might be trying to hurt yourself. Said you'd already beaten yourself up pretty good." She eyed the blind girl's bloody knuckles. "I told him you were fine. Just letting off a little steam. Funny, isn't it?" Haruka gave a little chuckle. "It's exactly what I do when I'm feeling bad. A little physical pain does wonders for the soul. I guess you and I have some things in common. I run till I can't move, you beat up brick walls." She didn't seem to expect a response, and Shinzui did not offer one. The rhythmic rush of the waves was the only sound for another moment or two.   
When Haruka spoke again, her voice was softer than Shinzui had ever heard it. "I wanted to apologize for what I said today." Shinzui's vacant eyes widened, and she turned her head towards Haruka in amazement. Haruka nodded. "I know, I know. But the princess made me realize something about myself that I hadn't wanted to see before. I'm the one who's been blind, Shinzui. I let this grudge blind me to everything else. To love. To friendship." She shook her head. "I took a long look at myself this afternoon, and I don't like what I see. I don't want to be this person I've become. I don't want to hate anyone the way I hate you." She took a deep breath. "So I need to understand. I need you to tell me what it's like to die."   
Shinzui winced. "You don't want to know, Haruka."   
"Tell me what it feels like. I can't remember. Every time we're reborn we lose our memories. But you remember, don't you? I need to hear it from you. Please, Shinzui. Tell me."   
The blind girl gave a bitter smile. "You know that's the first time you've ever asked me for anything?" She lifted a hand to the racer's face, caressing her cheek gently. "How can I say no?" Haruka stiffened uncomfortably at the touch, and Shinzui pulled her hand away, the smile lingering sadly on her lips. She turned her sightless gaze back toward the ocean, gathering her thoughts.   
"The Sacrifice has become a sort of ceremony after all these years," she began quietly. "It started with the very first, the way I said goodbye to the princess and the Guardians, and the things we did. After a while they just became a ritual. It's a comfort, in a way, to go through the same motions every time. Makes it seem a little less frightening." She tilted her head to the side. "The first time, the princess was so sad. I thought she might not let me go through with it, and saying goodbye to her was the hardest of all. I used my music to help her let go, and the song I sang for her has become part of the ritual along with everything else. I can't describe death for you, Haruka, but I think, if you'll let me, I can share the song with you. It might answer your questions." The racer nodded, and Shinzui inhaled deeply. When she began to sing, it was without musical accompaniment, only her silvery, bell-like voice, the swish of the water at their feet and the occasional twittering bird. But the melody was strong and clear, and as it surrounded them Haruka began to feel it inside her own body, inside her own mind. 

  
_"Once in a while a friend comes along   
Who teaches you what it means to be strong   
Once in a while you meet someone who   
Gives you the faith to believe in you   
And now that it's time to say goodbye   
I want you to know that it's you who is my   
Best friend _

_ "And I'm forever right beside you   
Though you cannot see me there   
I will be here to protect you   
And your trouble I will share   
No matter what else happens   
Come what may   
If you ever find you need me, just   
Remember me this way _

_ "Your love lights my way and it set my world free   
It's shining so bright, I don't need eyes to see   
That what I am now is all thanks to you   
You gave me your love and it made my life new   
And now it's my turn to give giving a try   
Whatever it takes, I will be there for my   
Best friend _

_ "And I'm forever right beside you   
Though you cannot see me there   
I will be here to protect you   
And your trouble I will share   
No matter what else happens   
Come what may   
If you ever find you need me, just   
Remember me this way   
"I wanted to thank you for all that you've done   
But each time I've tried the right words would not come   
I'm giving my life to keep your dreams alive   
And through you and your memories I will survive   
I'm happy to do this; please, Princess, don't cry   
I'll see you again soon, you're eternally my   
Best friend _

_ "And I'm forever right beside you   
Though you cannot see me there   
I will be here to protect you   
And your trouble I will share   
No matter what else happens   
Come what may   
If you ever find you need me, just   
Remember me this way _

_ If you ever find you need me, please   
Remember me this way." _

  
The sweet, mournful words penetrated Haruka's consciousness until she could see it for herself: the Sacred Child, dressed in white, standing atop the Altar of Tears. The breeze lifted her long silver-white hair as she extended her hands towards the small group of Senshi below. They were all there; even Uranus, and they were all in their royal forms, gazing up at the tall angelic figure on the altar. Despite the Child's height, the massive altar made her look quite fragile and alone. Princess Serenity was clinging to Endymion's arms, her face streaming.   
Endymion brought the Silver Dagger forward. It was a small weapon, too pretty to be a real instrument of war. It was received by a figure in a golden robe, who ascended the steps of the black stone monument to stand by the Child's side. He pushed the hood of his robe back, revealing a shock of white hair that matched the Child's own and a pair of brilliant sapphire eyes. The two exchanged some words, the Child smiling gently and encouragingly at the youngest of the Guardians. Behind them there was an ominous darkness, a rift in space that seemed to be swelling and straining at the edges, and with one last glance at this threat to their world, the Sacred Child gave a nod and laid herself on the altar.   
There were four iron manacles that were secured around her hands and feet, to force the separation of body and soul. The Dagger went up, glittering in the moonlight, but was lowered. Guardian Brother leaned forward and whispered something to the Child before kissing her softly. She replied with the same encouraging smile, and he raised the Dagger again. Closing his eyes, he brought it down, plunging into her heart with a cry of pain. Serenity also cried out, burying her face in Endymion's shoulder. A scarlet stain began to spread across the pure white of the Child's gown.   
The Child herself had not made a sound. There was a burning pain in her chest, a heaviness that felt as if it were suffocating. She could not breathe. A red haze of fire and black ice washed through her body, crystalizing her veins. It hurt, but she was determined not to scream. Any sign of pain would only hurt the princess more. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, and the Dagger embedded unnaturally in her body felt like it was liquefying, creeping into every cell and tissue, drawing her out of her own body, ripping her spirit out. Just when it seemed like she could not withstand it any longer, the pain faded away.   
There was nothing, only a soft, comforting blackness that surrounded her, lifting her up. She was floating weightlessly in an endless ocean of nothing. It was quiet, and she was finally able to relax. It was over, then. She was dead; this was death. It wasn't so bad. Dark, quiet, peaceful…not bad at all. She had done it. The Gate would be sealed, the Posiverse would be safe. The thought cheered her, and she let herself sink into the warm blackness calmly.   
That was when the pain returned. A hundred times worse than before, it tore through her soul like a hurricane of broken glass, so suddenly and so violently that she had no time to prepare for it. She heard a voice screaming and vaguely recognized it as her own. The comforting shield of darkness shattered, and she could see her own body below her, see her own face contracted with pain. Her scream and her body died away at the same time, and she felt an overwhelming sense of loss. The Princess was sobbing, and the Child's heart broke. She wanted to apologize, to tell her how sorry she was to make her cry, to be able to wipe away those tears and give comfort to the person who had given her everything. But she had no voice. The Gate behind her was straining even harder than before, and it was her duty to seal it. She turned her attention to the ugly tear in space, the tear which she had enlarged with her own hands only a few short years ago, the tear through which she had sent her armies to attack this world, the tear through which she had brought the Soul Dissolver to Uranus. But that was over now. She had created the Doomsday Gate, and now she was going to close it. Finding the jagged edges of the rift, she stretched out with every part of herself, every part of her consciousness, until she had seized hold of the edges. Ignoring the terrible pain, the wicked attacks of the Negaforce that stabbed into her soul with relentless and desparate fury, she contracted herself, pulling the Gate inside herself, becoming one with the space that separated Negaverse and Posiverse. As the edges slowly, steadily drew together, her own soul becoming the glue that fused them, she took one last, longing look at the Princess, and then at the hard, beautiful face of the Soldier of Earth. _For you,_ she thought, and gave herself over to the Gate completely.

********** 

Haruka did not realize that she had closed her eyes until she opened them as Shinzui's sweet voice faded away. Her vision was strangely blurred, and her cheeks felt cold. It was with amazement that she raised her hand to her own face and found it streaked with tears. Shinzui was no less astonished.   
"Haruka-san…you're _crying_." The tinkling voice was filled with wonder.   
"So are you," the racer grinned, reaching out to wipe away the blind girl's tears with her thumb.   
"But I always cry. You haven't cried since…"   
"Since my family died. I know. I was so angry with Orion that I wouldn't let myself feel anything any more. I swore I'd never give him the satisfaction. But that was silly." Haruka shook her head. Her rich voice was hoarse. "I let him win, you know. I let Orion turn me into a version of himself, cold and full of hate. But I'm not going to let him control me any more. I'm not. I've seen it, the way that you die for all of us, the way that you try so hard to make up for his mistakes. But I understand now that you and he aren't the same person. The Prince of Darkness died thousands of years ago. You shouldn't have to pay for what he did. You've paid enough." The racer reached out and touched Shinzui's cheek in a gesture reminiscent of the blind girl's own only a few minutes before. But this time she did not feel revulsed by the contact, and the way the older girl's breath quickened slightly made her smile. "It's not your fault, Shinzui. What he did is not your fault. So…" Haruka leaned forward, tilting Shinzui's face up, and lowered her lips to the blind girl's in a light, accepting kiss. "I forgive you, Sailor Orion. I forgive you."   
Shinzui gave a soft cry, and threw her arms around the racer's neck. For a long time both girls held one another, the salt of their tears blending with the salt of the waves and providing a healing, indescribably sweet cleansing that was about a thousand lifetimes overdue. 


	34. Love conquers all! When soldiers blaze ...

Part Thirty-Four: Love conquers all

Part Thirty-Four: Love conquers all! When soldiers blaze together

_So warm. _ Haruka's embrace was so warm, and the blind girl's entire body shook. In earlier lifetimes, she remembered daydreaming about a moment like this, being held in the powerful arms of the woman she loved. As the lifecycles continued she'd learned to discipline these dangerous thoughts, to keep herself from the futile wishes that only brought pain. It had been millennia since she'd dared to entertain such desires, and now the actual experience was overpowering. The situation itself, sitting on the beach with her arms around Haruka, being held and rocked and comforted by the same hands that had burned to take her life only hours ago, was enough to rob her of most of her senses. Unable to speak or even move, she trembled uncontrollably in the racer's arms.   
Haruka found herself smiling softly at the tremors that ran through the body of the girl in her lap. It was an incredible feeling of weightlessness that had suddenly come over her, and as the breeze brushed her face and toyed with her thick sandy-blond bangs she felt as if all she needed to do was lift her arms and it would carry her right into the sky with it. She had no idea how long they'd been sitting there together, clinging to one another. She had cried, though. They'd both cried. It was the sweetest feeling in the world, because the tears began in sorrow and ended in joy. She'd meant it, when she said she forgave Shinzui. Amazingly enough, it had been the truth. And she found to her astonishment that the moment she made the decision to let go, all the hate and the fear and the rage that had tortured her for the last few months seemed to drop right down to her feet and sink away into the sand. The resulting freedom and relief was something next to ecstasy. Now she could touch the blind girl and feel only friendship and warmth and an unexpected tenderness. _No wonder that Guardian loves her so much_, she thought bemusedly. _As strong and powerful as she is, she's still vulnerable. Like Sailor Moon. _She let her eyes wander down to where one long, slender leg had been exposed by the blind girl's flowered skirt, and the mischievous thoughts that flashed through her mind then made her grin. _Michiru's right. I really am hopeless. Not even a day ago I was ready to kill her._ She shook her head slightly.   
Shinzui had stopped crying, but she'd been quivering all over since Haruka had kissed her. The racer could only imagine what kind of impact this had made on the Sacrificial Soldier. She held the shaking girl firmly, and moved one hand in slow, soothing circles across her back until gradually the trembling subsided. She liked this feeling of strength, this feeling of restless, directionless energy. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in such a long time…only when she was riding, the wind in her face, tangling her hair, had she ever felt anything akin to it.   
_The wind. The wind is back._ It made perfect sense. This burning, all-consuming desire for speed and power, to lift off the ground and take flight, to become the wind itself, had obsessed her ever since she was a child. She always felt heavy somehow, chained to the ground, fastened to the earth by a force that went beyond gravity. She'd even resented her powers as a Sailor Senshi because ironically they came from the earth rather than the sky that she craved. Gayen…Gayen had been her wind. When he died, she'd longed for him to the point that everything was heavy and grounded without him. Her own hate had, in essence, chained her away from his memory, from the feeling of love and freedom and speed that he had awakened in her lifetimes ago. Now it was back. _It's back. And I'm free._   
__It was dark outside now, the only light coming from the silver moon hanging low over the water. Both girls were startled when the rhythmic rush of the waves was interrupted by a loud and jarring beeping noise. Shinzui pulled back and Haruka punched a button on her wristwatch. The beeping stopped.   
__"Midnight," Haruka declared quietly. "Happy birthday, Shinzui."   
__A slow, shy smile spread over the pretty features. She reached out with one hand and ran delicate fingers over the racer's face. "I'm going to say something I've wanted to say for a thousand lifetimes." Her musical voice was impossibly soft. "I love you, Haruka-san."   
__Haruka gave a low chuckle. "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not. Your love for me is a curse, isn't it? It's not that flattering when someone is _cursed_ to love you for all eternity." The dark irony in her voice was tinged with amusement.   
__Shinzui giggled. "I suppose not." Then a darker expression flitted across her face.   
__Haruka tilted her head to one side. "What's wrong?"   
__The blind girl sighed. "I was just wishing that this could last forever. That I didn't have to die, this time around." Her voice trembled a little. "What happens in the next cycle, Haruka-san? What happens when you're reborn and lose all your memories of this lifetime? It will all just start all over again." Shinzui took a deep breath. "It's selfish of me. I know it is. I'll always have this, this moment, this night to remember. And it should be enough…but now that this has happened, I don't want to let it go. I don't want it to go back to the way it was."   
__"I won't let that happen." The racer shook her head firmly. "I'm done with the hate, Shinzui. I'm done with the Prince of Darkness, and I'm done with the past. When I'm reborn I'm going to forget again…Gayen and Jutei and my family, and you, even. But I'm also going to forget the grudge. I refuse to carry it anymore. So don't worry." The warmth in her voice was genuine. "From now on, I want us to fight together as friends."   
__"Is that possible?"   
__"Sure. If there's anything I've learned from you in the past few weeks, Shinzui, it's that anything is possible." Haruka made a face. "Hell, I just found out that in a past life I was _married_. To a _man_. And had a kid." She shook her head. "If I didn't remember it myself, I'd have said it was ridiculous."   
__"You've really changed since then." The tinkling voice was apologetic.   
__"Yeah. But it hasn't all been bad, you know." Haruka was quiet for a minute. "I was just thinking. What if the old Orion hadn't killed Gayen? What kind of person would I be right now? What kind of soldier? If Gayen was here, Michiru and I wouldn't be…" she ran a hand through her hair. "And I wouldn't be…" her face reddened a bit and she broke off. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think I like the way things have turned out, now. I really do. I'm not alone, like I thought I would be. And I'm happy."   
__Shinzui was surprised. "You are?"   
__Haruka nodded. "I like being the person that I am. I'm not sure I'd want to change that, even if I could." Her grey eyes glinted with the reflection of the moonlight over the water. "I realized something tonight. You didn't hurt me, Shinzui. The man who committed all those crimes died eons ago, when he gave up himself to become…well…you. But because I couldn't let go, I was changed. Just like he wanted. Even after he was gone, he still managed to defeat me." A wry grin crept over her face. "But I'll be damned if I'm going to let that bastard win. I'm strong now, just like he wanted. I'm a soldier. But it stops there. I'm not going to be a murderer like he was, and I'm not going to let anger and hate drive me to kill. I'm going to take the strength he gave me and use it to protect the people I love from people like him."   
__Shinzui blinked her vacant eyes. "It's strange you should say that, Haruka-san. That's the same vow I made when I was brought into the Posiverse…that I would use every bit of strength that remained in me to protect this place from the monsters wanting to destroy it."   
__"Michiru told me once that you and I are a lot alike," the racer mused. "Funny how things work out, isn't it? You became softer because of the Prince, I became harder, and somehow the two of us managed to meet up in the middle."   
__There was a moment of silence as both girls considered these words. Finally Haruka spoke again. "Michiru has been the best thing that ever happened in my life. She's been more than a friend, more than a partner. She's been my soulmate and my liferaft. Sometimes this life, being a Senshi and all that, seems so surreal, like I could wake up tomorrow and find that it was all some bizarre dream. In the beginning I wished it was, but not anymore. I can't imagine my life without her in it. I still don't remember the past as clearly as you probably do, but I do know that throughout everything she was the one person to hang on to me, force me to face life, and to share my pain." There was a definite note of awe in her voice. "If it wasn't for the Prince of Darkness, I might not have that. I truly am happy with my life the way it is."   
__The blind girl sighed wistfully. "Oh, I wish I could believe that."   
__One sandy eyebrow lifted. "You calling me a liar?" the racer bantered playfully.   
__"No, no, that's not what I meant," Shinzui replied hastily, with a bit of a giggle. "I just…I can't help feeling guilty for what I did to you and your family. And if it really is true, that you're happy now, it would make me feel so much better. But you have no way of knowing what your life would be like if Gayen was alive, so I don't dare to imagine that you really could be happy now."   
__"Why not? Afraid you might finally have to let go of the past yourself?" Haruka inquired pointedly. "You know, it's a very uplifting experience. You should try it."   
__A smile flitted across the older girl's features, but she shook her head. "I don't think I can. It wouldn't be right. Somebody has to pay for the lives of those people, Haruka-san."   
__The racer shook her head. "Well, I'm not like Michiru and _odango_ and the other pie-in-the-sky, glass-is-half-full types. I'm not going to tell you what to do or how you should feel. That's entirely up to you. But what I can tell you is that a thousand lifetimes of guilt and sacrifice is enough penance as far as I'm concerned. I saw…I _felt_ what you go through, and it was enough to convince me it's time to let go." With one hand she reached out and brushed a strand of silvery hair away from the blind girl's face. "So maybe someday you will too." Regarding the pretty tear-streaked face, a few flirtatious comments rose to her tongue, but she held them back. Somehow it just didn't feel right. There would be something oddly sacrilegious in flirting with Shinzui. She wasn't like other women. Somehow she was different.   
To Haruka's surprise, Shinzui turned her head and for a moment it seemed as if the sightless dove colored eyes could actually see right into the racer's mind. It was unsettling, but a sweet smile curved Shinzui's lips. "Thank you, Haruka-san." Haruka wasn't sure if she was being thanked for what she _had_ said or what she _hadn't_.   
"Stop with the -san business already," Haruka replied with a grin. "We're friends now, and you're older than me, for god's sake."   
Shinzui's tinkling laughter echoed far across the glittering water. 

********** 

A large hand suddenly interrupted his vision, and the Book of Balance was closed gently. "That's enough, Demetrius. You should let them be. This is a very personal moment for the Child."   
Guardian Brother looked up, his eyes wet with the tears that were streaming unabashedly down his face. "It's just so beautiful, Neophilus…I wish you could feel it. The forgiveness. So beautiful."   
Neophilus lifted one heavy white brow ironically. "You seem to be taking it well."   
Demetrius blew his nose loudly in a blue handkerchief that disappeared up one sleeve of his golden robe. "I can't help it. I've wanted this for her for so long."   
"And it doesn't hurt that she's one step closer to breaking the Curse either, I'm sure."   
The youngest Guardian blushed. "That's part of it. I love her, you know that. But even if the Eternal Curse is never broken…" he looked down at the leather bound volume on the table. "At least now it might be endurable. Unrequited love is always tragic, but if Uranus doesn't hate her anymore, that will relieve so much of the pain."   
"I must admit, I'm starting to wonder just how eternal the Eternal Curse is going to be, myself." The giant Guardian pulled out a chair next to Guardian Brother and sat down. "Which poses some very interesting questions. What if it isn't eternal? If the Curse can be broken, then perhaps the Eternal Sacrifice is not truly eternal either."   
Demetrius shook his head passionately. "It's only eternal if we give up, Guardian Father. So we can't. We must never give up until we find away to seal that Gate without the Child."   
Guardian Father smiled fondly at his friend's enthusiasm, but his voice remained grave. "Much easier said than done. And the vernal equinox is less than two weeks away." He sighed. "We have yet to find the Silver Dagger, Demetrius, and time is drawing short. You know as well as I that the success of the sacrifice hinges on that Dagger. Without it the Child's soul will be severely weakened in death. It is not likely she would have the necessary strength to seal the Gate."   
"I know, I know." Guardian Brother ran a hand through his shock of white hair. "We know that the Dagger is in the blood of a human, and that human has to be in Tokyo. We also know that it is most likely in the blood of one of the senshi. But the Sacred Child says she has tested them all except Sailor Moon, and that none of them carry it."   
Neophilus nodded. "And now Lady Slipper has been going after Sailor Moon with a vengeance, which leads me to believe that she must be the one."   
"But I was with her, remember? When the Child brought her to us after Uranus'…episode, with that broken arm and all the cuts and bruises. She was bleeding all over the place but I didn't see any silver."   
"Did the Child use her Fire Opal over the cuts?"   
Demetrius shook his head a bit frustratedly. "She refused. I pointed out that it wasn't the same as cutting the Princess herself, since she was already bleeding, but the Child wouldn't hear of it. 'A promise is a promise', she said, and that was that."   
Guardian Father nodded, perfectly aware of Orion's stubborn streak. "I know she loves Sailor Moon with all her heart, but sometimes I think perhaps it's too much for her own good. If Sailor Moon does carry the Silver Dagger in her blood, we are eventually going to have to retrieve it. If the Child cannot do it, we will have to do it ourselves, and you know what that means."   
Demetrius sighed. "I get to hold her back again. I know. Which means she won't speak to me for a few lifetimes." He made a pouting face. "Why can't Oberon be the bad guy for once? Why does it always have to be me?"   
"You know the answer to that."   
Guardian Brother rolled his eyes. "She's a Soldier of Soul, I'm the Guardian of Soul, I know. Which automatically means I get all the dirty work when it comes to the Child. Sometimes it really sucks to be me."   
This comment caused Guardian Father to laugh, great peals of merriment that reverberated through the library. "I think you've been spending too much time in that hospital, Guardian Brother. You're starting to pick up human phrases." He laughed again, so hard that tears came to his eyes. "I never thought I'd hear something like 'it sucks to be me' from a Guardian of the Balance." His laughter was contagious, and soon Demetrius was chuckling too. 

********** 

A hiss of displeasure escaped from between the teeth of the rose haired woman as she stalked down the sidewalk. One week. It had been an entire week that she'd been stranded here in the Posiverse, and she could feel the nauseating toxic atmosphere beginning to eat away at her. It just wasn't right, to be exposed to this much Posiforce for this long. She was beginning to feel rather disheveled. She hadn't had a proper night's sleep in days, not to mention the fact that this Japanese food made her want to throw up. What good was meat when it was cooked through and through? Or vegetables that didn't have a healthy coat of the dirt they were grown in? These humans' eating habits were truly disgusting.   
She hadn't been able to comb and braid her hair for days, and the frizzing of her rosy braid was testimony to that. Her skirt was wrinkled, the flowers on her halter top were limp and fading, and she needed a good bath. Not to mention the fact that she was worried about her lab back home. There were some very delicate plants there, and she just knew that by now they were probably all dead; years worth of hard labor destroyed because of one Sailor brat.   
That meddlesome Guardian had interfered again. She'd been so close this time. Usagi had been in her grasp. Uranus had just about taken care of Orion for her. It was all going so well, and then _he_ had to show up with his blue flashy lights and ruin it all. It was enough to make her feel like screaming.   
Orion wasn't dead. Lady Slipper would have sensed it if she was. And what was even more unnerving, there had come a sudden strange feeling of release, a rush of sugary sweet ickiness that Lady Slipper couldn't explain, and could mean only one thing. Her wretched ex-husband was happy. She hadn't felt that kind of happiness from Orion since…well, suffice to say it had been a few thousand lifetimes since the last time he'd really been happy about anything. That was just the icing on the cake, then. This had to be the worst day of her entire life. It just couldn't get any worse than this.   
She passed by an electronics store, and suddenly turned to stare at the news report that was being run on a television in the display window. She couldn't hear what the reporter was saying behind all that glass, but it didn't matter. She was busy looking at the date up in the corner. _March 12_. Orion's birthday.   
"Well, what do you know," she murmured with a sudden cruel glint in her eye. "It's birthday party time. Those Sailor brats are sure to throw a party for her…and their little princess wouldn't miss it. I'll have another chance, and this time I'm going to get that Dagger." She stared in disgust at her reflection in the window. "But first, I need to get cleaned up a bit. I can't show up to a party looking like this." With that thought in mind, she turned back. There was a beauty shop across the street. A fresh look and a new outfit would do her a world of good; and then it would be time to go party crashing…in style. 

********** 

Luna pounced on Usagi's head for the fourth time that morning, receiving for her efforts a heavy and poorly aimed slap in her general direction. She was able to dodge the flying hand with an indignant huff. "Usagi-chan, for heaven's sake will you get UP already? It's Monday. You're going to be late for school."   
The blonde under the covers mumbled something incoherent and rolled over so that her bottom was sticking up in the air, and pulled the pillows over her head. Luna sighed impatiently. "Okay, fine. You leave me no choice." She spread her claws then and pounced on the protruding rear end, sinking the sharp little points through the blanket. "WAKE UP!!"   
The tactic produced the desired effect, as Usagi sprang about a foot into the air, howling and clutching her behind with one hand. This squeal of protest quickly dissolved into one of shock as she caught sight of the alarm clock. "Luna, I'm going to be late!!"   
The black cat rolled her eyes and watched her mistress rush around the room in a frenzy, tossing clothes this way and that, and hopping on one foot as she tried to put a shoe on with one hand while whipping her hair up into its _odangos_ with the other. "I tried to tell you, you know."   
"I'm going to have to stand in the hall again," the small girl wailed as she hurriedly finished her morning toilette. "And my algebra homework…aaah! I was so busy worrying about Shinzui-san last night that I forgot to do it. I'm gonna be in so much trouble."   
Luna made a face. "Sure. Blame the homework on Shinzui. You wouldn't have done it even if you HAD remembered, and you know it."   
Usagi stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at her cat. "You're so mean, Luna. I really was worried about Shinzui-san last night. I hardly slept a wink."   
"That's not what it looked like this morning," Luna retorted smoothly.   
Usagi opened her mouth to argue, but the cat shook her head. "No time to discuss this now, you've got to get to school. Don't forget to get Shinzui-san a birthday present after class today. There's a party over at the temple, remember?"   
Usagi nodded. "Of course I remember. But…" a shadow crossed her face. "I wonder what kind of a birthday it's gonna be for her. I mean, Haruka-san took off so fast last night, and we didn't hear from either of them. I really wanna know what happened."   
"We all do," Luna replied, for a moment dropping her usual chastising tone. "But until one or the other of them decides to tell us, we just have to wait. And you, young lady, need to get to school."   
The petite blonde scrunched up her nose with distaste, but nonetheless made a hasty exit.   
It was a typical day at school. She was indeed late for class, and had to stand out in the hall during morning exercises. Her absent algebra homework cost her a severe scolding and the threat of a letter home to her mother. Usually she managed to cry her way out of such a penalty, but today she was too distracted to really notice. She couldn't help wondering what had happened with Shinzui and Haruka the night before, and the thought obsessed her mind to the point that everything else just seemed like a big daze.   
She loved them both, so much. Haruka was the coolest person she knew, so strong and powerful. And Shinzui…they'd only met a few months ago, but Shinzui was possibly the sweetest and kindest person in the world. Usagi felt strongly attached to both of them, as if they were big sisters, and seeing the tension between them hurt her deeply. The memory of the previous day, when the situation had angered her to the point that she'd actually hit Haruka, seemed almost unreal. She found herself repeatedly staring at her own hand in shock. She'd hit Haruka. A girl twice her size, with twice her strength. The last time she'd slapped someone it had been her own precious Mamo-chan, because she'd thought he'd forgotten her birthday…and that had been different. She'd been mad then, offended, even, but it was nothing like yesterday. Yesterday she'd been so furious that even the Crystal felt it.   
When she tried to think over the events of the past couple of days it was enough to give her a headache. So much information. Such a complicated and frustrating story. It was so sad, what had happened to Uranus's husband and family. And it was sad, what had happened to Orion. The way he'd asked her to kill him, and then ended up joining them, and ultimately becoming a Sacrifice for them all. What she'd said yesterday to Haruka was true. The sacrifice shouldn't be on Orion's shoulders at all, it ought to be on hers. She was supposed to be the princess of the Posiverse, the one to protect everybody. And here she was letting someone else do it for her. Some Sailor leader she was.   
This was all her fault. If she'd only had the guts to face her responsibilities herself, instead of asking Orion to do it for her, maybe none of this mess would be happening. But she was a coward, a big baby. She couldn't even stand the thought of letting Shinzui prick her finger for a drop of blood, let alone strapping herself to an altar so that someone could plunge a dagger into her heart. And all these years, Shinzui had quietly and uncomplainingly stepped up to do it for her, taking all that pain and fear that was rightfully Usagi's and enduring it herself. What kind of a life was that? Usagi had been the one to insist that Orion live. She'd been the one to give Orion her new life in the first place, and then condemned her to an existence of sheer hell. What kind of a selfish, sick person did that to somebody else?   
So lost in thought was she that she walked right into the superintendent, who was just stepping out of his office and into the hall. There was a soft _oof!_ as she connected with the giant man's leg, and looked up…way up…into the friendly amethyst eyes. Her own blue eyes widened. _Oh yeah…I forgot that one of the Guardians is working at Juuban._   
Oberon looked down at the tiny girl with concern. He could tell that something was wrong; her confused thoughts had reached him from within his office, disturbing him from his work. He should have known it was the princess. No one else gave off such powerful positive energy, even in her current disturbed state. When he spoke, his whispered tones were gentle. "Come, my child. Let us talk." He drew Usagi into his office and closed the door.   
An hour later, the door opened again, and a much more serene Usagi stepped out into the hallway. She turned back to smile at the giant man. "Thanks, Oberon-sama. I feel much better now. You're so much easier to talk to than the other adults around here."   
Oberon gave a nod, and a slight smile toyed with one corner of his mouth. The little blonde enthusiastically threw her arms around his leg, the only part of him that she could reach, and gave him a quick hug. "You know what? You make a really good superintendent, Oberon-sama." She turned to go, but then remembered something and turned back. "Can I ask you one more thing?"   
The giant Guardian nodded again.   
"It's Shinzui-san's birthday today, and I don't have a present for her yet. Do you know of anything she might like?"   
A slow smile spread over his face, and he bent almost double to whisper in her ear. Usagi's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" Oberon nodded again as he straightened up, and a thoughtful look hovered on the girl's features as she considered it. "Okay, then. If you say so." The big man gave her a wink, and then handed her a white slip of paper, a pass that would excuse her tardiness from class for the past hour. Usagi made a petulant face. "Guess that means I have to go back to class."   
Oberon lifted one eyebrow and folded his arms in response, and she sighed. "Oh, all right. But thanks again…for everything." With that the small Sailor leader turned and went back down the hall towards her classroom. The Guardian watched her go with a twinkle playing in the depths of those amethyst eyes. She was really something else, their princess. 

**********

It was a beautiful spring afternoon, the perfect sort of weather for a party. The winter cold had finally begun to give way to a warmer, milder breeze, and with the solid cloud cover broken the sun was able to reach through and make everything cheery and bright again. The shrine was buzzing with activity when Rei arrived home from school.   
Her grandfather met her in the courtyard. "Rei-chan! We have many visitors today. You should get into your robes quickly and come to the souvenir stands. The girls there could use your help."   
The pretty raven haired priestess shook her head. "I'm sorry, Grandpa, but I can't today. It's Shinzui-san's birthday and we're giving her a party, remember? I have to get everything ready."   
Grandpa Hino's monkey-like face scrunched up into a mass of good natured wrinkles. He liked the tall, beautiful blind girl who had begun to spend so much time at the shrine with Rei. There was a powerful aura about her, something that whispered of an evil that had been overcome with purity. He didn't know the entire story surrounding her and he didn't need to. What he did know was that she had a very strong and good spirit, that one, not to mention a remarkably lovely young face. The little man nodded. "Oh, that's right, I remember. Well, I guess I'll just go help all those pretty tourists myself." A lecherous grin spread over his face as he waddled off towards the shrine visitor center.   
Rei rolled her eyes toward heaven and offered a quick prayer of protection for those poor girls who were about to experience her grandfather's…helpfulness. Then she turned and headed for her bedroom, where she proceeded to toss off her private school uniform and don a pretty red party dress. First things first, of course, she had to make sure she looked like the perfect party hostess. Once she'd done her hair and freshened her makeup, it was time to get the room cleaned. Rei did her best not to think about the mess that it would be in once everybody left; she knew the kind of damage Usagi and the rest of the girls could do in a matter of minutes.   
A very soft scratching at the door startled her, and she slid the rice-paper door back to reveal two cats and golden retriever sitting on the porch. Centauri was carrying a basket in his mouth. Rei's violet eyes widened. "Centauri! Luna! Artemis! I wasn't expecting you here so soon." She looked up, but caught no sight of the three animal's mistresses anywhere in the courtyard. Artemis shook his head.   
"We decided to come early and help you decorate," he told Rei. "Minako-chan is still in school, and so is Usagi, so Luna and I really didn't have anything better to do."   
"It was Centauri's idea," Luna added, looking up at the golden retriever by their side.   
Rei nodded, looking intently at Centauri. "How is Shinzui-san?" she asked anxiously. "And Haruka-san, too. They disappeared last night and no one heard anything."   
The big dog carried the basket into the room and set it down before replying. "I'm not sure," he said quietly. "She didn't come home last night."   
"What?!" The priestess spun around to stare at him. "But surely, after everything that's happened, Haruka-san wouldn't have…"   
He shook his head quickly. "No, she hasn't been killed. I would have felt it if she were dead. In fact…I don't know exactly what happened, but I think that whatever it was, it was something good. I just have a really good feeling about the whole thing. I'm not worried. Shinzui will show up when she's ready to."   
Rei made a face. "Well, let's just hope that she's ready by the time everybody gets here for her party. It would be a little ridiculous to throw a birthday party without the birthday girl."   
Centauri met the violet eyes calmly. "You senshi mean more to Shinzui than anything else in the world, Rei-san. She'll be here."   
Something about the certainty in his voice touched the priestess, and she nodded slowly. Then a grin spread over her face. "Well, in that case, we better start decorating. We want to have it done before she gets here."   
In response, Centauri nudged the lid of the basket open, revealing a rainbow of streamers, flowers, balloons, glitter, glue, scissors, tape and other party decorations. "I borrowed these from Shinzui's collection at the Banpuku center."   
Rei rubbed her hands together. "They're perfect. Okay, everybody, let's get to work!" 

********** 

Michiru had just stepped out of the shower, wrapped in a big white bathrobe, when she heard the apartment door open and close. "Haruka," she whispered, coming out into the kitchen. Sure enough, it was her sandy haired partner, in rumpled clothes but wearing the biggest grin Michiru had ever seen. The violinist stopped short with a bit of surprise. "Haruka?"   
Haruka charged towards her with a laugh, lifting her up off the floor and twirling her around in the middle of the kitchen. "It's over, Michiru. It's really over. I'm free." The racer laughed more, spinning around like a delighted child, and Michiru flung her arms around her partner's neck for dear life.   
When the world finally stopped turning in circles and Haruka put her back down, Michiru gazed up into her beloved partner's face with a mixture of startlement, wonder and joy. "Haruka, what…what happened out there? I've never seen you like this before."   
The racer laughed again, a delicious rich laugh that warmed Michiru's heart. "Like I said, it's over. All that mess between me and the Prince of Darkness."   
"You mean, you…"   
"I decided to let go. I forgave her, Michiru."   
At this, Michiru's aqua eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around her partner's neck for a second time. "Oh, Haruka, I'm so glad! I knew you would, I just knew it."   
The racer couldn't resist lifting her up for one more little twirl. "It just feels so…god, I can't even describe it." She put Michiru down again, this time siezing her hands and bringing the fingers to her lips.   
Michiru watched her partner's face with a smile, paying no attention when the towel that was wrapped turban-like over her turquoise hair came loose and fell to the floor due to all the spinning around. "You don't have to describe it. I think I can see the results for myself. I am so proud of you, Haruka." She tilted her head to the side. "So you were with Shinzui all night?"   
__The racer nodded, lowering their hands. "We talked for hours, about all kinds of things. Fighting and honor and love and what it means to be a senshi…she's a really amazing person, and we both feel the same about so much. It was incredible, but once I'd made the decision to forgive her, it was like I could suddenly see the real Shinzui, the one who is so much like me, just like you said." One sandy eyebrow went up coquettishly. "What's the matter, are you jealous?"   
__Michiru batted her eyes. "Maybe." Then she became serious again, as one hand came up to cup her partner's face. "But I'm happy for you. I truly am."   
__Haruka gave her another tight hug. "Thank you, Michiru. For believing in me. For helping me through this. I don't just mean now…I mean in all those lifetimes that we can't even remember. I know you were there, and I know I wouldn't have been able to make it to this point if it wasn't for you. So…thanks."   
__Michiru returned the hug briefly, then playfully swatted the racer away. "All right, all right, enough of that. Shinzui's birthday party is in less than a half an hour, so you need to get dressed."   
__"So do you," Haruka retorted merrily, staring pointedly down at where the bathrobe had fallen open during their hugs. A blush crept over Michiru's cheeks as she quickly pulled the edges of the robe close to her neck. Haruka chuckled and headed for the bedroom, pulling off her tie as she went.   
__A little while later the two arrived at Shinzui's apartment door. Haruka raised her hand to knock, but the door was opened before she even made contact with it. There was Shinzui, in a pretty peach colored sundress with a soft white sweater, and a happy smile. "I'm so glad you offered to give me a ride to the temple," she giggled as she closed and locked the apartment door behind her. "It seems Centauri's gone off somewhere without me."   
__Haruka took the blind girl's elbow and guided her down the hall towards the elevators. Michiru couldn't help looking from one to the other with a combination of curiousity and amazement. For two girls who had just spent the entire night without sleep, going through what must have been a massive amount of emotional turbulence, they both seemed remarkably rested and well. Maybe that's what forgiveness did to a person, after millennia of hate and anger and fear. Looking at the two of them now, chatting away like old friends, it was hard to imagine that only yesterday Haruka had wanted to kill her. But Michiru had known all along that this day would come, eventually. Haruka wasn't as tough and cold as she pretended, and no one knew better than Michiru how deep and intense the racer's true emotions could be.   
__As they stepped out of the apartment building, Shinzui suddenly paused in mid-sentence and stiffened.   
__"What's the matter, Shinzui-san?" Michiru inquired curiously as the blind girl tilted her head to the side as if she was listening to something.   
__Shinzui's lips tightened. "We have to get to the temple, now. Lady Slipper's after the Princess again."   
__Haruka didn't need to hear anything more. She helped Shinzui into the back seat of the convertible, made sure that Michiru was in the passenger's side, then leapt into the driver's seat without bothering to open the door. The convertible started up with a roar, and the tires squealed as she pulled away from the curb. Once in the car, Michiru pulled out her mirror and gazed intently into it, trying to confirm Shinzui's prediction. Sure enough, the reflective surface was filled with dark shadows, the kind that always meant trouble. But she couldn't see anything else.   
__"Perhaps I should use the communicator and warn them," the violinist said, opening her purse to locate it. Shinzui reached forward and put a hand on her wrist, stopping her.   
__"Not yet," she replied quietly. "We still might be able to stop Lady Slipper before she reaches them. I don't want to put the girls in any more danger than is necessary. If they know she's coming, they're likely to go out looking for her."   
__Michiru nodded. "You're probably right." She gave the blind girl a sympathetic smile. "It's a shame your birthday has to be interrupted by something like this."   
__Haruka chuckled low in her throat. "Actually, I was just thinking the opposite. No party's complete without a good fight." She glanced in the rearview mirror at Shinzui's face. "Am I right?"   
__A slow, amused grin curved the pretty lips. "I couldn't have said it better myself."   
__Michiru looked from one to the other and burst into laughter. "You know what? I feel very sorry for Lady Slipper at the moment." 

********** 

___Amazing what a set of clean clothes and a good hairstyling can do,_ Lady Slipper mused triumphantly to herself. Despite the failures of the past few days, and the fact that she'd been virtually kicked out of her own universe until she'd found the Silver Dagger, she was in rather light spirits at the moment. After getting her skirt, leggings and flowered halter top dry cleaned and pressed, and having her hair washed, combed and rebraided in a little beauty salon across the street from the dry cleaners, she was feeling much better. Her rose colored braid now cascaded smoothly over one shoulder again, and her clothes were crisp and wrinkle free. The one thing she couldn't seem to fix was the atrocious smell of humans that insisted upon clinging to her skin and hair. But that would have to wait for later.   
__Giving herself one last approving look at her reflection in a store window, she nodded. Now she'd at least be presentable when she appeared to fight her former husband and all the senshi. It would never do to appear so bedraggled and unkempt in front of the enemy. Of course, with any luck, she'd be able to get to their precious little princess and retrieve the Dagger from her blood before any of them had the chance to stop her.   
After checking to make sure no one was looking, Lady Slipper ducked into a narrow alley between two buildings. It would cause quite a stir if she were to teleport right in the middle of the street. As much as she enjoyed the attention, she couldn't afford to do anything that might tip Orion off to her location. Orion probably already knew that Lady Slipper was on her way to the birthday party, anyway. It was an irritating side effect from Orion's life in the Negaverse, that she could sense the presence and intention of her former colleagues from miles away, just as she had when she'd ruled as the Prince.   
Lady Slipper closed her eyes and concentrated on the Shinto Shrine where she needed to be. In a moment, she felt her body flicker in and out of phase as her teleportation powers took over. When she opened her eyes, she was standing at the base of the steps leading up to the shrine. A snide smile spread over her features. It looked like Orion hadn't arrived yet.   
She climbed flight after flight of stone steps, and by the time she had reached the top she was panting for breath. Honestly, what were the humans thinking when they designed such torturous methods of travel? It boggled the mind. She could hear loud giggling and music coming from the left side of the building, and her small sharp knife materialized in her hand. She carressed the slick blade lightly, and hissed between her teeth. She was so close now, she could smell the blood of that simpering Posiverse princess already. Lady Slipper began to cross the flagstones.   
"World Shaking!"   
A golden planet of light ripped through the ground by her feet, and Lady Slipper scarcely had time to leap into the air and away before it crashed and exploded into the stones where she'd been standing. The Negaverse woman landed, catlike, on her feet, and turned to face her assailant. Her face fell a little with disappointment when she discovered Sailor Orion, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune all glaring at her from atop the shrine's impressive archway. This would certainly make her job more difficult. But she wasn't going to let them beat her this time. She needed that Dagger. She wanted to go home.   
Tilting her head to the side, she puffed out her lower lip in a mock pout. "Now, now, Orion, is that any way to greet one of your party guests? I only came to wish you a happy birthday."   
Sailor Orion lifted one pale eyebrow. "And that knife you're holding is my present, I imagine?"   
Lady Slipper looked down at the small blade in her hand and giggled. "Why not? If you come down here, I'll deliver it to you right now." The sea-green eyes widened with amusement. "Deliver it straight to your heart where it belongs." She drew her arm back and threw the knife, end over end, right at Sailor Orion's face.   
With a movement like lighting, Uranus' hand snapped out and caught the blade mere inches from Orion's nose. The Sacrificial Soldier's silver eyes slid towards Uranus and she smiled. "Thanks."   
"No problem," Uranus grinned back, holding up the little knife and looking down at Lady Slipper. "Yours, I believe," she quipped, throwing it back at her in the same end over end fashion.   
Tired of playing games, Lady Slipper extended one arm and knocked the flying blade away from her with a blast of rosy negative energy. "Enough." She glared up at Orion. "I want that Silver Dagger, Orion. Why don't you be a good little Posiverse girl and stay out of my way while I get it?" She fired off another spherical pink attack, causing the three senshi to leap down from the archway in order to avoid it. Orion did a somersaulting fall, landing in a crouch on the ground in front of her former wife. She rose slowly, silver eyes sparking.   
"Because I made a promise."   
Lady Slipper turned to Uranus and batted her eyes. "Come, Miss Uranus. Help me out a little here. Orion's no friend of yours either."   
Uranus gave a low chuckle. "Ah, but she is." She came up behind Orion and placed one strong brown hand on the taller soldier's shoulder firmly. "She's a very good friend."   
Lady Slipper gaped, staring from one to the other in disbelief. "But…your planet…and family…" She blinked in surprise as realization hit. "So that's what happened. You got over it." After a second she shrugged. "I suppose it's about time. You should be proud, though, Miss Uranus. You hold grudges as well as any Negaverse citizen."   
There was a shout from across the yard and Lady Slipper suddenly found herself encircled by Senshi as the other girls ran out of the shrine to help their friends. Orion gave the rose haired woman a dangerous grin. "Well, my love, what are you going to do now? I can promise you that none of your _jaki_ will live long enough to get close to the Princess."   
Lady Slipper's eyes traveled to Sailor Moon, and fixed on the small white throat hungrily. The blood that ran silver with the Dagger was pulsing there, just under the surface, and she was so close…yet with all the senshi thus united, and Orion so much stronger than she'd been in the past few days, it was impossible. She turned back, where Uranus had fixed glowering steel eyes on her, and she swallowed a little too hard. The Magnificent Soldier turned to Orion. "I'll take care of her for you, right now," she growled. "She'll see just how well I can hold grudges."   
Orion gave Uranus a small smile, but shook her head. "As much fun as that would be," she replied mischievously, "it does happen to be my birthday today and I'm in a generous mood." To Lady Slipper she said, "I'm going to let you go this time, Lady Slipper. Consider it my birthday present to you. But I want you gone from here and I don't want to see your face again for the rest of the day, understand?"   
"And if I refuse to go?"   
Sailor Jupiter cracked her knuckles. "You really want to die today?"   
Lady Slipper's shoulders slumped. Jupiter was right, with this many senshi all together, and with her powers weakened from her long estrangement from the Negaverse, she wouldn't have much chance. She glared at Orion. "This isn't over."   
"It never is."   
With another long glare, Lady Slipper closed her eyes and vanished from their midst.   
It took about two seconds for it to register that they were all safe, and then the Senshi converged on Orion and Uranus, peppering them with questions. With shy smiles and reassuring nods, it was explained how the relationship between the two girls had changed, literally overnight. Sailor Moon was so ecstatic that she couldn't refrain from doing a little dance in place, flying from one to the other with enormous, choking hugs and squealing at the top of her lungs with delight. It took quite a long while to get everyone settled down.   
The girls eventually detransformed and went into the shrine, where Makoto and Rei served punch and cake, and presents were passed around and oohed and ahhed over. But towards the end of the party, when everyone was feeling happy and full and pleasantly sleepy due to all the good food and games, Usagi slipped up next to Shinzui shyly.   
__"Shinzui-san, I haven't given you my present yet."   
__The blind girl shook her head. "Princess, I don't need a present from you. Just being able to spend the day with you like this is present enough."   
__Usagi blushed, but shook her head. "No, no, I have something I want to give you, but…" she looked around a bit nervously. "I want it to be just us. Can we go outside for a minute?"   
__Curious, Shinzui nodded, and allowed the tiny Sailor leader to guide her out of the noisy party room, onto the long porch. Once the rice paper doors had been closed behind them and it got a little quieter, Usagi turned to Shinzui. "Okay, you have to promise not to laugh."   
__"Of course I wouldn't," the blind girl replied gently. "Never."   
__Thus reassured, Usagi nodded. "Well, okay, then." She put her hands behind her back and was very quiet for a moment. Then, to Shinzui's surprise, she started singing very softly, almost timidly.   
___"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you_   
___Happy birthday dear Shinzui-san,_   
___Happy birthday to you."_   
__It was a very soft voice, not boisterous or giggly like Usagi was generally prone to be. She wasn't showing off, and she wasn't trying to be the center of attention. She was simply singing for her friend, as sweetly and sincerely as she knew how. And Shinzui's keen musical senses could read from those few notes exactly how much love she was putting into every word. Tears came to Shinzui's vacant eyes and she pulled the tiny girl into a tight hug. "Thank you, Princess. Thank you so much."   
__Usagi blushed a little. "Well, Guardian Friend said you'd like it. I wasn't so sure. It doesn't seem like much of a present."   
__"You couldn't have given me anything better," the blind girl asserted fiercely as she released Usagi from the hug. "You know something, Princess? I've lived a thousand lifetimes, had thousands of birthdays, and I can remember every single one. Between you and Haruka both, this birthday has been the very best of them all." 


End file.
